SYDNEY WHARF STRIKES

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1945, Page 5

SYDNEY WHARF STRIKES

Adverse Effect of War Effort COMMUNISTS BLAMED. (Rec 11.20). CANBERRA, May 11. Mr Harrison, Deputy-Leader of the Opposition, in the House of Represenlatives to-day, moved the adjournment of the House to discuss fai Jure of the Government to. maintain effort and production on the waterfront . He asserted: “This Government must he held accountable for prolonging Ihe nrosecution of the Pacific war, for loss of Australian lives through lack of shipping facilities, and for delay in alleviating distress of thousands of hungry people in war torn Europe. He accused the Government of bowing down before Communist-conti oiled unions”.' , r An attempt was made by the Gov ernment. to dissuade Mr Harrison from moving the adjournment or tne H The‘ Acting-Attorney-General, Mr Beasley, said that, the waterfront troubles were inextricably bound with the proceedings that are now before the Courts. ’ | The Speaker, Mr Rosevear, ruled that no discussion could take place on the cases before Courts, which cot - > cern ships’ joiners and dock ironworkers. j 7 Y . Mr Harrison was then asKea whether he wished to proceed v.itfi his motion. Mr Harrison said he did. Every member of the . Opposition stood up in his seat to indicate Ins support. Mr Harrison alleged that. naval vessels. merchant, ships, oilers, and others had sailed from Sydney unserviced, or unloaded, or only partly loaded. because of waterfront troubles. Failure of watersiders to work meant that soldiers were offering not only their life’s. blood, but their sweat and their physical strength to do tasks which were not their. tasks. Had it not been for these enlisted men, Australia’s war effort , would have been sabotaged by the men working on the waterfront. It was impossible to assess the number of ships lhat had been delayed as the result of the stoppages and the “go slow” tactics. At Sydney, the wharf labour shortages in April had ranged higher than one thousand men. Replying to Mr Harrison, Mr Beasley said that the same conditions as those existing on the Australian waterfront and also- in the coalmining industry were prevalent in the same industries in other countries. Neither he nor the Labour Federation condoned the stoppages, but it was a fact that the millions of tons of equipment supplies and foodstuffs handled by the wharf labourers during the war represented a very worthy war effort on the part of these men. A debate is continuing.