STANDING FIRM

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 December 1946, Page 7

STANDING FIRM

CHIFLEY AND WAGEPEGGING REGULATIONS

ATTITUDE TO PRESSURE

(Rec. 11.20 a.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 3.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Chifley) told officials of the _ Australasian Council of Trade Unions that he would not be forced into any decision on modification of the wage-pegging regulations. The Sydney Morning Herald says that the A.C.T.U. officials were disappointed by Mr. Chifley’s refusal to make an early announcement on the lines along which the wage-pegging regulations would be modified. The secretary of the A.C.T.U. said that little progress had been made by the emergency committee of the A.C.T.U. set up to discuss the wave of industrial unrest. The committee was embarrassed because Mr. Chifley declined to indicate the Federal Government’s attitude to industiial pioblems. , TT n The Minister of Labour, Mr. Holloway, said Mr. Chifley had notified the leaders of the trade, union movement that he intended to amend the wagepgo'cring regulations befoi e Chi istmas so “that adjustments could be made simultaneously with the decision of the full Arbitration Court on the basic wage. “I thought the trade union leaders, knowing that the wage-pegging regulations were to be amended before Christmas, should have prevented industrial stoppages involving the loss of wages to workers and inconvenience to the public in the meantime,” said Mr. Holloway. Meanwhile, Sydney faces a gas shortage next week-end because of the ban on overtime imposed by the Gas Employees’ Union. The clerical and technical staffs kept the supply going last week-end and may be able to do so next week-end, but the position is doubtful. '. Nir. eteen collieries on the south coast, involving about 8000 tons of coal daily, are idle while the men attend meetings to discuss compensation for “dusted” miners and also a demand for Judge Rainbow’s removal from vthe Workers’ Compensation Commission.