Appeal To A.C.T.U. On Shearing Dispute

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27917, 14 March 1956, Page 13

Appeal To A.C.T.U. On Shearing Dispute

(Rec. 9 p.m.) SYDNEY, March 13. The Australian Council of Trade Unions will be called into the Queensland shearing dispute in an attempt to end the importation of New Zealand shearers to Queensland by air. The secretary of the Queensland Trades and Labour Council said today that the 'council’s disputes committee had decided to ask the A.C.T.U. to call on unions concerned in the repair and maintenance of aircraft to discuss what action they c.uld take to prevent New Zealand shearers being flown in. He said it had also beer decided to ask the A.C.T.U. to take the matter up with the New Zeala d Federation of Labour. Australian shearers (members of the Australian Workers’ Union) have been instructed by the A.W.U. not to shear at the new rates which are 10 per cent, lower than the old rates i in Queensland and 5 per cent. lower in other states. At the annual conference of the New South Wales Graziers’ Associa- , tion today, delegates unanimously carried motions on emergency measures to combat the shearing strike. 1 The conference decided to seek

Government aid during the strike to cut graziers’ financial losses. The association's executive as a result will ask the Prime Minister (Mr Menzies) to ease the credit restrictions until conditions return to normal and postpone any taxation payments that might come due during the strike. Similar approaches will also be made to the banks.

The mover of this motion, Mr H. Munro, of the association's cattle council, said that loss of production during the strike would not only hit graziers big and small but also the national economy. The association yesterday decided to provide protection for shearers and shed hands who defy the A.W.U. and work at the new award rates. The managing director of Grazcos. Mr R. C. Wilson. M.L.C.. said shearers at one shed in Queensland left after they were told that “a r-’wd from the town will come out and bash you up.” Mr Wilson told the conference: “We flew four teams u-* to Queensland and two are still working. Union organisers got the names of the other men and they were told their names would be posted in the town and they would get no tucker. were told they would !?e

placed on a ‘black list’ for life and that their wives and child-en would starve. The official organ of the A.W.U., the ‘Worker.’ published the names of the men. “A truck called at the shed one night and a man in it told the men working that a crowd from the town would come out and bash them up. The men left. “I think we are going to win. but we are fighting hard against apathy. We have to send men to Queensland quickly if we are to win. I am sure the police in Queensland will keep order.” he said. The conference decided to appoint strike committees to secure four men each to volunteer for shearing out of their district and to arrange labour for shearing in thdir own districts. Mr H. E. C. Fuller, of Rowena, said: ‘‘We must fight this to the finish.” Some delegates criticised the Federal Government which, they said, had not taken any action in the dispute.