New Moves To End Victorian Turmoil

Northern Advocate, 16 January 1948, Page 3

New Moves To End Victorian Turmoil

MELBOURNE, Fri. (10 a.m.) —Developments early ‘/.this morning raised .hopes that Victoria’s threatened industrial upheaval would be averted. . While the Essential Services Bill, which had been passed by the Legislative Assembly, was being debated by the Legislative Council, a deputation from the Trades Hall Council arrived, at Parliament House to see the Premier (Mr Hollway) with a request that the bill be withdrawn.

After midnight the deputation had a long interview with the Premier and other Ministers, after which the deputation reported back .to the Trades Hall Council that the Premier had given it a sympathetic hearing. I-Ie had said that the Government would not withdraw the bill, but would undertake to put it in cold storage, provided all threatened stop'pages were abandoned. The Trades Hall regarded this as satisfactory and expressed high hopes that normal services would soon be restored.

“Mr Hollway said the decision of the railway powerhouse men to cease at midnight had caused the Government to rush the bill through. “He said that if the strikers returned to work the bill would not be proclaimed, but would be put in cool storage, so that it could be used at any time.

“When asked to withdraw the bill, be told us calmly and coolly that Cabinet refused to do this.” At a mass meeting today tramwaymen are expected to accept the settlement terms.

Meanwhile .the Newport powerhouse employees had carried out their decision to cease work at midnight, thereby immobilising electric trains for today.

If this occurs it will end a tense week, which began when the Government announced its emergency plans.

The Trades Hall Council will do its utmost to carry out its agreement with the Premier. Trades Hall leaders said the Government had made a big concession. ANSWER TO REDS Earlier in the evening the AttorneyGeneral (Mr Trevor Oldham), introducing the Essential Services Bill, said it was the answer to Communists’ lawbreaking sections wishing to hold lawabiding people to ransom. The legislation aimed at protecting essential services, without impairing the- democratic rights of individuals. The secret ballot provisions might well be a spearhead against Communist control of unions. All the Government wanted was for rank and file unionists to have a voice in strike decisions, free fr6m coercion and intimidation.

TRAINS TO RUN After further early-morning conferences, Mr Hollway announced that train services would be resumed about 9 a.m. and hoped that trams would be running by Monday. Nothing definite would ■be known about the shipping and waterside tieup until those unions meet today, but it is expected that these stoppages will also be abandoned. The secretary of the union (Mr W. Bird) visited 14 inter-state ships in port, after which work ceased.

The watersiders became idle as the firemen drew the ships’ fires, rendering winches idle.

After -the second conference the Trades Hall executive decided to call off the tram strike if the Government agreed not to proclaim the bill.

It also made strike picketing an offence.

Reporting to the Trades Hall Council on the conferences with Mr Hollway, the council secretary (Mr J. V. Stout) said:

SOLE PURPOSE OF BILL The sole purpose of the bill was to allow the vast army of citizens, bewildered and frustrated by industrial stoppages, to work and care for their families free from Communist domination.

The measure was not provocative, but essentially protective.

It was a shield not a sword. The bill gives the Government power to acquire the Tramways Board’s 400 buses as well as private buses and cars. Under fhe bill the Government will be able to request car owners to carry passengefs, with the right to charge each passenger. . Drivers and passengers will be indemnified against damage or loss. ' •

In addition to the Tramways Board buses, about 700 private buses at present serving the outer suburban routes will be directed to continue their jpurney toward the city on specified routes.

Garages necessary to maintain buses used in the emergency service may also be acquired. The bill also provides penalties of up to £IOOO on union officers responsible for calling unofficial strikes.