LABOUR UNIONS STIRRED

Hawera Star, Volume L, 20 February 1931, Page 5

LABOUR UNIONS STIRRED

{RESENTMENT AT WAGES CUT REPRESENTATIONS TO BE MADE GENERAL STRIKE FAVOURED (United F rrti* Association—By Electric Telegrapn Oopy right, j f SYDNEY, Feb. 19. Amid uproarious .scenes the congress of the Australian Cbuneil of Trades Unions to-day decided to send a. delegation to Canberra to demand that the Federal Government immediately declare “a state of national emergency.” Messrs Chapman, Douglas, Crofts, Hoare and Garden comprise the delegation. They will endeavour to compel the Government to take action along the lines of Mr Garden’s amendments', mainly to prevent the 10 per cent, wages cut.

The proposal for a general strike has been temporarily shelved.

Mr J. S.. Garden’s amendments to the general strike proposal moved by Mr Chapman, of the New South Wales railways, comprised the appointment of a committee of four to place before the Federal and State Governments immediately the following demands:

(1)A shorter working week; (2) a restoration of the 10 per cent, reduction in wages in certain awards recently ordered by the Arbitration Court; (3) an assurance that there will be no reduction in old age, infirmity, invalid or war pensions; (4) the provision of food, clothing and shelter for unemployed workers in accordance with the standard of the Harvester judgment. Mr Garden stated that Mr Lang had appealed to him to furnish a statement of what the -workers demanded and had given an assurance that he intended to see the demands were granted. Mr Garden added that from his previous experience he believed that Mr Lang and certain Federal politicians would again procrastinate, so he moved the amendments formally to throw the onus on the Federal Ministry. Personally lie favoured a general strike. An extremely ugly situation developed outside the congress meeting place, the Sydney Trades Hall, the Reel element chalking the footpath, with inflammatory appeals to precipitate revolt and making many unsuccessful attempts to gain admission. Finally the police were compelled to arrest three of the ringleaders.