48 HOURS TO RETURN

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXV, Issue 299, 4 December 1935, Page 7

48 HOURS TO RETURN

GOVERNMENT ORDER Mr. Lyons’s Firm Stand FREE LABOUR ARRANGED (By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) (Received 4, 11.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 4. The Prime Minister announced in the House of Representatives at Canberra last night that the Government would give the seamen 48 hours to return to work, failing which it would apply the Transport Workers Act now operating in the case of waterside workers at several ports, under which men seeking employment on ships would require to obtain licenses.

Mr. Lyons said that, should it prove necessary to apply the Transport Workers Act, its application would uot be temporary but permanent, and seamen who refused to resume work would find themselves excluded from future employment in the Australian shipping industry. He added that the Government would not hesitate to grant permits to oversea ships to engage both inter-State passenger and cargo services should the remaining inter-State steamers prove impracticable.

Arrangements have already Deen made by the James Patrick Co. to man their ships with volunteer labour. The shipping strike has extended to Brisbane, where three vessels are tiedup. South Australia has been drawn into the dispute, an Adelaide message saying that it is expected that practically all steamship services will be suspended by the end of the week.