Inter-State Ships Held Up By Stevedores’ Strike

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1947, Page 7

Inter-State Ships Held Up By Stevedores’ Strike

(Rec. 11.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. A strike by 30 foremen stevedores halted cargo work on most interstate ships in Sydney today. Eleven ships were affected when the stevedores refused work this morning, and it is expected that two more will be involved later in the day. Union officials say that the dispute may spread to other states, but that overseas ships will not be involved. The Federal Conciliation Commissioner, Mr Murray Stewart, will inquire into the dispute this afternoon. The strike, which is the first the foremen stevedores have ever staged in Sydney, has been called because 12 supervisors employed by the Macauarie Stevedoring Company Proprietary Ltd. have refused to join the Australian Foremen Stevedores’ Association. The company controls the loading and discharge of all interstate vessels in Sydney, except those owned by the Union Company and the James Patrick Proprietary. The strikers are assured of the support of watersiders, shipping clerks, seamen, storemen and packers. The union alleges that the company refuses to employe any foreman stevedore as a supervising foreman unless he possesses a marine officer s

ticket and resigns from the association. . >

The men regard the dispute as a fight for the life of the Foremen Stevedores’ Association, because the livelihood of the members is threatened by ships’ officers coming ashore and taking supervising jobs.