Communists Blamed for Most N.S.W. Industrial Troubles

Grey River Argus, 22 April 1948, Page 3

Communists Blamed for Most N.S.W. Industrial Troubles

SYDNEY, April 21

Nine Communist-controlled unions, with only 26.1 per cent., of the union membersnip in New South Wales, were responsible ior 84 per cent., ox the time lost by strikes in the State between September, 1945, and December, 1947.

i nis' ’is cnsclosed in a bulletin issued by an organisation formed to study industrial and economic trends in Australia.

The bulletin states that in the surveyed period 3,357,000 man-days were lost, of which nine unions were responsible for 2,830,00’0... Estimates show that, excluding niiners, eight Communist-controlled -unions representing 22 per cent.,’.of the total unon membership, caused the .loss of 75.5 per cent., of the man-days lost by strikes. ......

.-.i. lie survey lists as". Communistcontrolled unions the Miners' ... Federation. 'Ship Painters and Dockers, Federated ' ironworkers; Waterside Workers, the •Amalgamated' Engineering, Building Workers,’ Industrial Federated,' Engine-drivers’ and’ Firemen’s. -Seamen’s anu Federated Clerks'. • - - - ...• Members of the eight Communistcontrolled unions. not including miners, lost ’an average of 23.1 days work on strike, compared with 1,5 davs lost by members of the nonCommunist unions.

The report concludes that an analysis of the disputes reveals a definite method of Communist tactics. One such union creates a new dispute immediately' another' has ended..

This practice of “handing on the torch” was most evident in strikes affecting the dockyards, where 669,628 man-days were lost.. 7 .