INDUSTRIAL CRISIS IN N.S.W.

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 306, 25 September 1945, Page 7

INDUSTRIAL CRISIS IN N.S.W.

Strikers Cause Serious Dislocation HOLD-UP ON WATERFRONT

(By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright.)

(Received September 24, 9.20 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 24. The gravest industrial crisis for years today faced New South Wales where between 15,000 and 20,000 are idle because of dis-, putes. Heavy industries, power and light, coal and meat production, shipping and printing, are seriously dislocated and it is feared that the stoppages, may extend. > The Bunnerong powerhouse dispute is in its twenty-second day and seems as far as ever from settlement. A strike which began at Australian Iron and Steel Limited, Port Kembla, has extended to three subsidiary collieries, involving a total of more than 12,000 men.

Hundreds of printers are unemployed following a strike ■which began some weeks ago. The employees, who are claiiniug a 40-hour week, ceased work at the end of that period. The employers, arguing they could not accept this, closed the printeries.

The Sydney waterfront was brought to a standstill today by a dispute over the use of mechanical equipment on the wharves. More than 3900 men were at the picking-up centres, but nobody offered for work. Thirty-four ships are without labour today.

At the Riverstone meat works, 1400 employees are idle because of the refusal of the management to meet a claim of the wool and basil workers that a special man be employed to treat small skins. In addition to the three southern collieries involved in the Port Kembla dispute, nine New South Wales mines are idle today and about 8000 tons of coal will be lost to production. A seriova upheaval in the metal industry is threatened by the stoppage of the Port Kembla men and by a move by the State Council of the Federated Ironworkers’ Association for a stop-work meeting throughout the State. These meetings would involve approximately 18,000 metal workers at Newcastle, Port Kembla and in all metal shops working under State awards. _ The one-tiay stopwork meetings which had been arranged to take place on all coalfields throughout Australia, have been postponed. The decision to postpone the meetings was reached after discussions between the Miners’ Federation leaders and the Minister of Supply, Senator Ashley.

PORT KEMBLA STRIKE Twelve Unions Involved

(Received September 24, 7 p.m.) SYDNEY, September 24.

Six thousand men are involved in a general stoppage at the works of Australian Iron and Steel. Ltd., and Lysaght’s (Port Kembla), Ltd., following the dismissal of an employee in the coke ovens section of the Port Kembla Steel Works.

Twelve unions are involved in the dispute and four more unions may join the strike. The employee was dismissed for refusing to do the work of another man who was absent. The Metal Trades’ Association will be asked this week to call stop-work meetings at Newcastle and Port Kembla and in all the metal trades industries working under State awards. The State Council of the New South Wales branch of the Ironworkers’ Union decided on this action to determine a policy to meet the situation created by the recent deregistration of the Ironworkers’ Union by the New South Wales Industrial Commission.

NEAR BLACK-OUT IN PERTH

(Received September 24, 7 p.m.) PERTH. September 24. Because of the coal shortage caused by a strike of miners at the Collie coalfields, transport in the Perth metropolitan area is almost at a standstill. All trams and trolly buses in the city stopped running on Saturday afternoon. Perth was practically blacked out on Saturday aud Sunday nights. Except where an emergency power supply is available, heavy industry has been brought to a standstill, and many people thrown idle.