Australian Postal Strike Worsens

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31583, 22 January 1968, Page 11

Australian Postal Strike Worsens

(N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) SYDNEY, January 21. Trade union leaders were today forecasting the biggest industrial upheaval in Australia’s history if the nation-wide postal strike was not settled. Their predictions of a general strike came after the mail dispute had widened yesterday, for the eleventh day in succesision, when counter hands in Sydney’s metropolitan post offices i joined 30,000 other postal workers who are on strike throughout J the country.

Yesterday’s worsening of the strike came after eight Sydney counter-hands were dismissed or suspended for refusing to handle “black” mail.

As soon as the sacki ings were reported to the A . P. W .U., it ordered all counterhands in metropolitan post offices to stop work. I Mail overseers and 80 telegram boys at tbe Sydney G.P.O. walked out soon after- ! wards. Other developments in the strike yesterday included the recruitment of more volunteer workers to transport and sort mail piling up at the country’s mail exchange. The new recruits had to run the gauntlet of picketing strikers who told them it was useless handling the mails because the letters had no hope of delivery to household mail boxes. The joining of the strike I by telegraph boys threw tele-1

gram deliveries into chaos. On Friday the boys delivered about 7000 telegrams. Yesterday the telegrams had to be sent out by telephone and taxi. The State president of the

Australian Postal Workers' Union. (Mr T. McLachlan) said that if no successful settlement formula was reached tonight his union would consider ordering all its members in the State, ex- ' cept linesmen, to strike on Monday. ‘ This would mean that counterhands in country post i offices would also stop work.