84 SHIPS IDLE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25139, 21 March 1947, Page 7

84 SHIPS IDLE

SYDNEY WATERSIDE STRIKE MINISTER “ HOPEFUL ” OF SETTLEMENT (Rec. 7 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 20. Eighty-four ships are now immobilised in Sydney harbour, and a solution in the waterside dispute seems no nearer. The watersiders are prepared for a long struggle, but in Canberra the Minister of Supply and Shipping (Senator Ashley) said last night that he was hopeful of a settlement. A formula has been worked out by Senator Ashley and the chairman of the Stevedoring Industry Commission (Mr D. V. Morrison), but they have refused to reveal it. It is believed that the formula is based on the willingness of the commission to accept the offer of the Sydney branch of the Waterside Workers’ Federation to provide 500 new members if the watersiders will work overtime on two nights a week. This compromise, if reached, will operate until the unloading lag is overcome. Thereafter no overtime will be called. The Federal authorities regard the watersiders’ offer as generous, but doubt whether the men will yield more ground. This is the fourth formula to be presented in the 10 days of negotiation, and it differs from the previous one only in that the watersiders are asked to work overtime as well as provide extra men. The State president of the Waterside Workers’ Federation (Mr W. Coghlan) said that the watersiders were making detailed plans for picketing the wharves. In a joint statement, Messrs R. L. Bridges and E. D. Darby said they would do everything within the law to provide volunteers to unload the ships. They would not break the law although they believed the governments were not enforcing it. “Operation Potato,” the plan to get potatoes off the ships, could be brought into action at short notice, but it needed the active collaboration of both the State and Federal Governments.