HANDLING OF WOOL

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25020, 31 October 1946, Page 7

HANDLING OF WOOL

AUSTRALIAN BAN EXTENDED i CONFERENCE BETWEEN 1 PARTIES (Rec. 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, Oct 30. The dispute between the woolbrokers and the Clerks’ Union is being ■ discussed to-day at a compulsory conference called by the Federal Conciliation Commissioner (Mr J. C. Melbourne). Efforts made by Dalgety and Company to negotiate direct with the clerks in Brisbane were unsuccessful. The union has now banned wool handled by the Australian Mercantile Land and Finance Company. The new prohibition came into operation at midnight last night at all New South Wales ports. The reason is similar to that involving Dalgety and Company. The union demands that all wool clerks should join the union and that 1 the companies should meet the union to discuss the award. Because of this and the woolbuyers* refusal to attend the sales unless the shipping position is settled, the sale and shipment of wool valued at more than £13.000.000 are delayed. Only 178.374 of 522.000 bales allocated for this year’s sales in New South Wales have been sold. Even this is not a true indication, for the Wool Selling Regulations provide that buyers need not pay for their purchases if strikes or industrial unrest prevent theta from shipping wool. Thus the industry is faced with a tantalising situation in which the world shortage is bringing record prices which, because of the clerks* ban, may not be paid.