PRINTERS' STRIKE

Evening Star, Issue 25301, 9 October 1944, Page 7

PRINTERS' STRIKE

SYDNEY AGAIN WITHOUT PAPERS ALL DAILIES AFFECTED Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, October 8. Sydney has been without newspapers since yesterday morning. Members of certain printing trades unions have gone on strike, asking for the immediate concession of a 40-hour week and four weeks' annual leave. An agreement now in force between these unions and the newspapers provides for a 44hour week and three weeks' annual leave. ■ The trouble originated in the Sydney' ' Sun ' Office. After the matters in dispute had been before the Industrial Commission on Friday, the ' Sun ' management met the employees' representatives yesterday morning, when further talks to-morrow were agreed upon. Later, however, the ' Sun ' employees held a stop-work meeting and decided not to resume work until their demands had been conceded. ■ The ' Daily Mirror,' Sydney's second afternoon newspaper, then became involved in the dispute. After an early joint edition of the ' Mirror ' and the '_Suu>' had been published, later editions did not go to press. The Sydney ' Daily Telegraph ' and the ' Sydney Morning Herald ' also became involved when they attempted to print Sunday editions of the papers already affected. A conference to-day between the union representatives and the proprietors failed to settle the dispute. The proprietors plan to produce' to-morrow morning a four-page composite newspaper, bearing the imprint on the front page of nil four Sydney dailies. The secretary of the Printing Industry Employees' Union said to-night that the members of tho union .would not produce the paper. It is understood, however,, that the proprietors will- get a skeleton staff from the foreman printers of tho four Sydney dailies. The president of the Newspaper Proprietors' Association,' Mr R. A. Henderson, said tho paper would be produced at the ordinary time for ordinary circulation. A spokesman for the (Road Transport Workers' Union stated tonight that his members would not, deliver it, and an officer of the Newsboys' Association announced that the members of his association would not sell it.. It is expected that a compulsory conference will be called by Mr Justice Taylor to-morrow morning in an attempt to settle the dispute. '