ADELAIDE INDUSTRY

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 August 1946, Page 7

ADELAIDE INDUSTRY

40,000 PEOPLE THROWN OUT OF WORK SHORTAGEOF COAL SYDNEY, July 31. All power for industry will cease in Adelaide at 8 a.m. to-morrow. This is due to the lack of coal. As a result 40,000 people will be thrown out of work. The last shift will be the one which starts at midnight to-night. The resumption of industry in South Australia depends on the arrival of a collier, the Ocean Pride, which is battling against gales. She is expected on Saturday. The total coal loss in New South Wales for July was 217,000 tons. This is easily the highest loss for the year. When contract miners are called away from the coal .face to do any s other shift work on day wages, they are to receive as consideration a payment of five shillings per day, in addition to the rate applicable to first-class shiftmen. This is the decision of the Central Coal Authority, Mr A. C. Willis, in the dispute which affected 20, 5 southern New South Wales coal mines last week. The award is to operate as from July 24. ■ JUDGE’S ADVICE TO UNION OFFICIALS

SYDNEY, July 31.

In the Arbitration Court to-day, acting Chief Judge Drake Brockman made a stirring appeal to union officials and to senior union members to control “the young and irresponsible hotheads who have specialised in stirring up industrial strife.” Counsel for the Chief Railway Commissioner brought to the court’s notice overtime disputes at workshops and powerhouses involving over 7,000 men, and counsel stated that the maximum of the overtime to be worked was being fixed arbitrarily by stop-work meetings of employees. The Judge reminded the parties of the system of round-table conferences, which had given satisfaction over 11 years. He said: “I look to the unions to get control of this matter, and to restore discipline within their own ranks.”

He added: “You must control these younger people in the workshops if you do not want to jeopardise your claim for the 40-hour week. Between us, we have established a pretty good show in the railways, vastly improving the wages and conditions. Do not let these young hotheads destroy this structure. Do something about it.”