BRISBANE STRIKE ENDED.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, Issue XLVII, 7 March 1912, Page 5

BRISBANE STRIKE ENDED.

WORK TO be resumed to day. 'Pkess Association.—Copyright.) BRISBANE, March 6. The strike committee has declared the strike off. Mr. Coyne, ;iu officially announcing the decision, said that all. trades still out, including the wharf labourers and coal miners, would resume to-morrow. The committee had been enabled to take the Btep because it had received an assurance from the Employers' Federation that there would be no victimisation, and also an assurance from the southern transport unions that they would stand by the Brisbane unions fur six months if necessary. The announcement was made to a large gathering of strikers. "—ln a later speech Mr. Coyne claimed that they had fought probably the- best industrial fight in the world's history. They had been opposed with, brutal ferocity by the press and every force of capital. It was not t-he strike committee's fault that 'the port of Brisbane had been closed. The committee had moved to alter the state of affairs, but the employers declined to meet them. The assurance from the Employers' Federation covered most of the callings except the tramways and Taihvays. The tramway and railway / men who were out would not- suffer; they would be provided for for some time to come. In order to ensure the safety of workers the strike committee would not disband because the transport workers all along the coast would come out when instructed by file committee. Mr. Coyne asked the tramwaymen and railwaymen to remain solid and not apply for work at present, as they might take a job from other unionists. They had nothing to fear, as a-ssistance was coming from all parts of th e Commonwealth and New Zealand. The strikers will resume at ten o'clock, to-morrow or as early as possible. 1 here is a general relief that the strike has ended. , _ , The secretary of tho Employers Federation expressed gratification that the strike was off. He said- he hoped business -would soon return to the normal condition. ASSERTIONS OF MR COYNE. BADGES AS EMBLEMS. (Received 9.15 a.m.) BRISBANE, This Day. Mr Coyne declared that the strikers never broke the law. Their biggest offence, according to the police, was calling someone a "scab." Every Act of the Parliamentary Statute was suspended in order"to defeat them. In the event of the employers not keeping their promise, the strike .committee would again close the Port of Brisbane. There were certain employers with, whom the committee would deal in a few days.. Personally, lie "would not ride in a tram again till* he saw the employees wearing badges as emblems of unionism . AT WORK AGAIN. (Received 11.40 a.m.) BRISBANE, This Day. The waterside workers return to work to-day. They will handle only cargo vessels not worked, by non-Union labour. PRACTICAL SYMPATHY. (Received 11.40 a.m.) MELBOURNE, This Day. A meeting of employers- sympathised with the Brisbane employers, owing to the strike. A collection resulted in £I4OO being Taised to assist in meeting tho expenditure as a result of. the-: strike.