AUSTRALIAN LABOUR

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 January 1929, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN LABOUR

APPEAL TO MINERS ' TO PREVENT STOPPAGE (Australian Press Association.) (By Cable—Press Asan. — Copyright.) ' i I SYDNEY, January 25. The Chairman of the Northern Col- • lieries’ Association to-df/y appealed > to the miners’ representatives earnest- ■ ly to consider the Government’s proposals for the stabilisation of the industry, reminding thepi that an exhaustive investigation of the mining companies’ affairs had already been carried out. He solemnly warned the miners that the colliery proprietors were thoroughly united, and were prepared for any contingency in order to rescue the industry from the desperate pass into which it had drifted. DECREASED OUTPUT SYDNEY, January 26. New South Wales’ coal production during the past two years decreased by a million and seven hundred thousand tons pei- annum and many of the principal overseas markets have practically been lost. The output per man has decreased twenty per cent, since the first year of the war. An owners’ meeting has been convened for next week with a view to taking definite action to rehabilitate the industry.

TIMBER WORKERS’ AWARD.

MELBOURNE, January 25.

A conference of the parties in the timber dispute called yesterday, was unable to reach a satisfactory agreement. Since the unions’ representatives expressed an intention to disobej' the Award, working only fortyfour hours a week, the employers’ Secretary has notified them that they intend to compel observance of the award, and from January 31, any employee working only forty-four hours will have a pro rata deduction made from his wages.

A.W.U. v. COMMUNISTS

SYDNEY, January 26.

The Labour movement in New South Wales is still hopelessly disunited. The Australian Workers’ Union, whose annual convention is now being held at Coolangatta, has declared war on Communists or the Reds as they dub them. The A.W.U. claims that this faction is trying to wreck the Labour movement, with the connivance of prominent people in the official Labour Council. The Australian Labour Party executive in turn argues that they too are trying to save the Labour movement from destruction, and are wooing the support of the Australian Workers’ Union who at present are- playing a lone hand. The Easter Conference of the Australian Labour Party is approaching and the opportunity will be utilised to tery to patch up the differences between these two units, but those behind the scenes assert there is not the slightest hope of the Australian Workers’ Union effacing itself in this manner. The Labour Council which is really representative of industrial trades unionism, and the alleged ‘Red’ element has closed every avenue towards a reconciliation of the Labour forces.