AUSTRALIAN UNIONS

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1942, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN UNIONS

TO CARRY OUT WAR PLAN Large Industries to Close (Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) (Rec. 11.50) SYDNEY, JUne 17. More than two hundred trade union delegates, from all of the States together with Government representatives, will attend the most important industrial conference ever held in Australia, which is to open in Melbourne on Friday. The Prime Minister, Mr J. Curtin, will preside. It is believed Mr Curtin will demand that the trade unions shall abandon all plans for the improvement of wages or of conditions while the war lasts. He is expected to tell the unions frankly that the Government has finished its blueprint. for the war, and that it remains cnly for the plan to be put into effect The onus to see that the plan is implemented will rest, mainlv, on the inions. . * Large inaustries. both in Sydney and in Melbourne, have been earmarked for closing. Thp Prime Minister has stated that the operational side of the war has ceased to be a matter went initiative. This is in the hands of tiv 1 C' mmander-in-Chief and his subordinate Commanders, who also, control the strategy in this theatre cf war in .relation to the strategy m Ot Mr Curtin added .that, industry already has been rationalised to some extent, and that rationalisation was likely to become increasingly necessary in ti’tunn _ N.S.Wo Coal Stoppages "UNAVOIDABLE FEATURE OF INDUSTRY” ' rdnecial to N.z. Press Assn). (Rec 12 0) SYDNEY, June 17. The Government, now is prepared to trlat daily coal mining stoppages in nlw South Wales as unavoidable features of the industry, it is stated officially. Coal production m the State has been stabilised at ten mi -

lion tons a year compared with a figure of nine million tons before the War. For some weeks day-to-day stoppages occurred in various mines. A code for settling disputes was recently laid down, and has resul.ed in improved production, but disputes continue to occur m mines which are closed for a shore period.