Kembla, Newcastle Steel Strike Now Certain To End

Northern Advocate, 4 January 1946, Page 3

Kembla, Newcastle Steel Strike Now Certain To End

(Rec. 11.25 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The steel strikes at Port Kembla and Newcastle now seem certain to end next week.

The Industrial Commission’s decision ordering reinstatement of Parker removed what the union holds to be the main issue of both steel strikes. The Full Bench of the Industrial Commission upheld the appeal of Donald Parker (whose dismissal caused the recent strike) against the decision of Mr Justice Cantor and ordered the Australian Iron arid Steel Co., Ltd., to reinstate him upon his presenting himself for employment with his shift. The order takes effect as from today. Mass meetings at Port Kembla and Newcastle will discuss the decisions of the Industrial Commission and all other relevant matters. NEED NOT, HAVE STRUCK Prominent Trade Union officials described the Commission’s decision as a vindication of the arbitration system. They said that if Communist officials of the Ironworkers’ Union had adopted the advice of the Trade Union movement and instructed Parker to appeal.to the Commission there need never have been a strike.

The Commission stood over the application by the Ironworkers’ Union for re-registration, because the union failed to give any undertaking about its future conduct. Leaders of the two large unions involved in the strikes announced that their members .would be instructed to return to work. OBSTACLE REMOVED The secretary of the Clerks’ Union (Mr J. Hughes) said: "The court's decision that Parker be reinstated removes the final obstacle to a settlement. We arc not interested in the reregistration question.” The secretary of the Electrical Trades’ Union (Mr N. Thom) said: "We are not concerned with whether the Ironworkers are re-registered.

"So far as our members and the strike are concerned, the reinstatement of Parker settled the issue.”

NO JOBS FOR SERVICEMEN

Strikes and lack of effective planning are seriously increasing the number of servicemen unable to find jobs, says the "Daily Telegraph.” Of 51,710 servicemen discharged in New South Wales to December 15, 1945, nearly 11,000 had no jobs to go to when they left the demobilisation centre. ,

Some o*f these have found jobs through official and unofficial assistance, but thousands have been out of work since demobilisation.

Official figures show that of all servicemen discharged in New South Wales, only 56 per cent, had jobs waiting for them. As demobilisation proceeds, employment officers at discharge centres are finding it increasingly difficult to find jobs for servicemen, adds the "Daily Telegraph.” STREAMS OF INQUIRIES Every official and unofficial employment agency report constant streams of inquiries from servicemen seeking work. ' Long and costly litigation is likely to hold up the planned settlement of ex-servicemen on the land. About 6 per cent, of the men being demobilised are inquiring about land settlement and 6000 have applied for land, but officials say few of these will be settled on the land under the settlement scheme by the end of this year. The State Government is finding difficulty in buying land because owners are disputing the proposed price, and are threatening to fight it out in Court,