FEDERAL MINISTERS STILL BAFFLED BY SYDNEY WHARF STRIKE

Grey River Argus, 22 March 1947, Page 5

FEDERAL MINISTERS STILL BAFFLED BY SYDNEY WHARF STRIKE

SYDNEY, March 21. The Waterside Workers Federation has rejected rhe Canberra formula for the settlement of the Sydney waterside strike. The formula, in which Federal Ministers placed high hopes, provided that 500 more men should be admitted into industry and overtime be worked on two nights weekly. Sydney watcrsiders are adamant that they will not return to work until the overtime order is withdrawn. They are prepared to admit 500 more men, which was their suggestion in the first place. The Federal secretary, Mr J. Healy, said that Mr Chifiey had told him that the Government would not interfere with the decision by the Stevedoring! Industry Commission, and that the terms would have to be approved by the Government. This is interpreted as meaning that the Federal Government s backing the commission chairman, Mr D. V. Morrison, despite attempts by unionist? and politicians to short-circuit the commission through the Government. 44 SHIPS IDLED Forty-four ships are now immobilised and congest ; on i? so great that 12 are anchored in the stream. SECRET BALLOT WANTED Mr E. D. Darby claimed that 30 watcrsiders had telephoned him that they wanted the wharf strike settled, and that , they were opposed to intimidation by a few militants who were fostering strikes for their own revolutionary ends. He said they liad told him they wanted a secret ballot to decide the strike issue. They could not make ouch a declaration openly, and had asked him not to ’ divulge their names, because they feared they would be “bashed” if it was known that they favoured settlement of industrial troubles by constitutional means. SHORTAGES OF GOODS

Shortages arc causing dismissals in several industries. It i? expected

that 500 ice-cream workers will be idle to-morrow. By order of the refining commission, the small remaining stocks of sugar are reserved for hospitals and industries associated with the processing of perishable goods. Nine large bacon factories and 14 country abattoirs will have to close soon because of the shortage of salt, 400 tons of which lies in the hold of an idle ship in Sydney. FREE SPEECH QUESTION

The Premier, Mr McGirr, stated in the Legislative Assembly that the Government stood for free speech and would provide whatever protection was? necessary for any citizen who wanted to conduct a properlyconstituted meeting. The ActingCommissioner of Police had made available about 70 police to protect the public meeting in the Domain, which Mr Darby had been given Government permission to conduct. Additional police officers were allotted to maintain order at the meeting.

“I think that a man was very indiscreet in making an announcement that he intended to proceed from the Domain to Parliament House”, said Mr McGirr. “A number of people were arrested and have since been charged. Any inference that police protection was not given is untrue and unfounded”.

Meetings held since in Sydney and suburbs have been relatively quiet, and the police had no trouble in controlling the audiences.