Shot fired at shearer

Press, 23 April 1983, Page 3

Shot fired at shearer

NZPA Sydney A shearer was hit by a shotgun blast on Thursday evening near the southwestern New South Wales town of Hay, and police believe the attack may be related to a shearers’ strike. A police spokesman said the shearer was travelling between Hay and Maude, about 770 km south-west of Sydney, when he was shot. The spokesman said the shearer heard two shotgun blasts then felt a sting on his hose and cheek. The

shearer, whose, name has not been released, suffered superficial wounds. The shearers’ strike began last month when the Arbitration Commission dismissed an appeal by the shearers’ union, the Australian Workers’ Union, against a ruling allowing the use of wide combs. It has spread to all sheep-producing states except Queensland. On Thursday the Federal Employment and Industrial Relations Minister, Mr Ralph Willis said, “This dispute has now reached a serious stage and the Government is particularly concerned about reports of violence associated with it.”

In the Arbitration Commission in Adelaide a western Victorian farmer said a group of men threatened to put a bullet through his head, burn down his shed, and pull down his fences for defying the strike.

The Arbitration Commissioner, Mr J. McKenzie said, “We have not got an industrial dispute, we have got terrorism in the industry at the moment” The Australian Workers’ Union will ask the Arbitration Commission to hear new evidence why it should repeal its ruling allowing use of the controversial wide comb shears.

The appeal is the latest attempt to resolve the shearers’ strike.

The secretary of the union, Mr Ernest Ecob, said the union had' sent material to Mr Willis arguing that the appeal should be allowed.