STRIKE LOSSES.

Northern Advocate, 21 March 1921, Page 2

STRIKE LOSSES.

During the past two years organised workers in Australia have forfeited in wages through strikes a sum j which could have 'been very usefully j .employed at present in relieving unI employment in the Commonwealth, i The latest available return of strike | losses presents facts that are start-' j ling. Particulars, supplied !by the I Commonwealth Statistician show that I from the beginning of 1913 to the middle of last year Australian ;workers lost through strikes 17,015,747 working- days, and £9,i964,000 of wages. It is unofficially computed that strikes during the second half of 1920 involved a loss of nearly £2,000,000 in wages, making the total for the eight years close on twelve millions sterling. The point to 'he emphasised, however, is that much more than half of this enormous loss was incurred during the last two years. On the basis stated, the aggregate wage losses of 1919 •and 1920 amounted to more than as compared with a corresponding Moss of £5,400,000 during the' six years to the end of 1918. Even if the unofficial estimate of a wage loss of two millions during the second half of 1920 is set aside the 'Commonwealth Statistician's figures show that wage losses during the eighteen months to June, 1920, almost equalled the cori*esponding lossj

03 of the preceding six years. To these wage losses, there are, of course, to be added other direct losses of enormous amount, and a far-reach-ing unsettlement and dislocation of industry. It is in this way that the Labour bosses of the Commonwealth 'prepared for a period which in any case was destined to present serious difficulties where production and employment are concerned.