BACK TO WORK

Grey River Argus, 7 January 1946, Page 5

BACK TO WORK

N.S.W. STEEL WORKERS Gas and Electricity Rationing .End' SYDNEY, January 5. Steelworkers at Wooliongong and Port Kembla decided unanimously at a meeting yesterday to resume work at the Broken Hill F'ty’s. works and at the works of the Australian Iron and Steel Co. Ltd., on the basis of the terms of the settlement arrived at by the recent conference between the Australian Council of Trades Unions and the Broken Hill Pty. This is not to be effective until endorsed by Newcastle steelworkers to-day. (Rec. 6.30). SYDNEY, January 6. . The striking Newcastle and Port Kembla steelworkers have decided to return to work. The full bench of the Industrial Commission, in a judgment given yesterday; granted the Federated Ironworkers’ Association registration as a union. At mid-night to-night all electricity and gas rationing will end, after having paralysed industry and disrupted home life in New. South Wales for 32 days.

Although the thirteen thousand striking steelworkers have decided to return to work at Port Kembla and Newcastle, steel and associated works are expected' to take up to a month to re-employ them and the thirteen thousand other workers thrown idle in these places, through shortage of materials. Only about 225,000 of the half million put out of work in New South Wales "by power rationing expect to resume work to-morrow, and fifty thousand workers will remain idle until March.

A mass meeting of Newcastle steel strikers unanimously decided yesterday on a resumption of work. This decision was confirmed by a similar one of Port Kembla steel strikers. The Port Kembla strike had lasted for fifteen weeks and the Newcastle strike for about ten weeks.