BRITISH DOCKERS

Grey River Argus, 11 May 1945, Page 5

BRITISH DOCKERS

Coming to Australia TO REPLACE SYDNEY STRIKERS. (Rec 95) SYDNEY, May 9. About three thousand British artisans are coming to Australia as dockyard workers for the British Pacific Fleet. This is reported to-day by a political correspondent of the Sydney “Sun”, who says that these workers are being sent to overcome delays to repairs and maintenance to British ships caused by local industrial troubles. The British workers will be classed as naval ratings, rhe Com-mander-in-Chief of the Fleet, Admiral Fraser, has revealed that such noldups are resulting in ships being sent to battle areas without receiivng proper docking attention in Sydney,. The correspondent adds: federal Ministers are understood to have warned the Sydney waterfront Union leaders that if the stoppages continue, the number of British dock, workers to come to Australia will be increased from three thousand to five thousand One of the biggest political gales of the present stormy session of the r ederal Parliament is expected over a continued strike of three thousand Sydney dockyard workers, which has been caused by a petty internecine argument within the Ironwoikeis Union. , . S'ir Bruce Fraser’s statement, is regarded in Parliamentary loobies as an unmistakable indication that the British Fleet is not getting the servicing from Australia to which the Government earlier pledged the counThe Commonwealth Director of Shipping, Sir Thomas Gordon, said to-day. that delay to ships in Sydney was serious. Some vessels had been held up for weeks awaiting repairs. In Canberra, the Acting-Prime Minister, Mr Chifley, indicated that the shipping delays were causing the Government continuous concern. Many trade union officials, as well as Opposition political leaders, and the entire Australian press to-day castigate the striking dockyard workers. The Sydney “Sun”, in its leading article this afternoon, says; “This indicates only too truly the existence widespread in Australia of an unhappy mental state, -which prevents people from putting first things first. Instead, every grievance—and often the grievance is imaginary—is" an excuss to strike without waiting to negotiate. Democracy cherishes its freedom, and abuses it by striking in defiance of its own laws. What it often forgets is that freedom is a gift from the dead, and from those who are yet to' die in hattie. It forgets that, while the war against Japan continues, the first duty of every one of us is to see that the war effort goes on unchecked, so that the fighting men shall lack for nothing they, may need, and that we can. supply.”