FIRST STEP TAKEN

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXVI, Issue 15, 15 December 1945, Page 7

FIRST STEP TAKEN

SETTLING THE STRIKE MOVE BY* UNION (N.Z. Press Association.—Copyright.) (Bee. 10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 14. Application for re-registration as an industrial union' of employees was lodged by the Federated ironworkers' Association (New South Wales Division) with the State industrial registrar today. This is the first step toward settlement of the New South Wales strikes, which have paralysed industry and thrown handreds of thousands of people out of work in recent weeks. 1

A step towards the general coalfields resumption was the . temporary settlement of the demarcation dispute between the miners and the enginedrivers, which had held up id i\ewcastle pits before the general stoppage. The general secretary of the Miners’ Federation (Mr Grant) said that he was pleased at the decision. It was possible that the miners would hold aggregate meetings on Sunday. The truce takes effect on the day that a general resumption occurs. The miners’ leaders are expected to direct resumption of work on all New South Wales coalfields on Monday, and the collapse of the shipping strike is also imminent. Fourteen days must elapse before the hearing of the ironworkers’ application can begin. The union is requested to insert a copy of its application in one metropolitan daily newspaper, and to serve a copy of the application on every union likely to be affected. Within 14 days of the publication, any union may lodge an objection to the application. Though the law vacation starts on Monday, the president of the Industrial Commission, in determining the urgency of the matter, would reassemble the Court. Mil CHIFLEY’S HOPES. The Prime Minister (Mr Chifley) said today that he had strong hopes of a settlement of the New South Wales Industrial dispute. “On behalf of the Commonwealth Government, I have enunciated a main principle—that every avenue by which differences between the ironworkers and the Broken Hill Proprietary could be adjusted should be explored through the State Industrial Commission, which is dealing with the matters in dispute,” said Mr Chifley. The settlement of industrial disputes by conciliation and arbitration is a plank of the Labour Party’s platform, which was confirmed by the recent Federal conference of the Australian Labour Party. Meantime representatives of the Miners’ Federation and the Federated Enginedrivers’ and Firemen’s Association are meeting the Minister of Supply (Senator Ashley) on demarcation of the dispute. Union officials expect a basis of agreement to be reached which would enable resumption of all these pits on Monday.