ADVICE TO LABOUR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 27 November 1945, Page 5

ADVICE TO LABOUR

INDUSTRIAL TROUBLES THE RIGHT TO STRIKE MR CHIFUEY’S VIEW Sydney, Nov. 26. •Discussing the present industrial troubles in Australia, involving Broken Hill Proprietary steelworks, Mr Chifley, the Prime Minister, told the Australian Labour Party conference today that he was in the extraordinary position of having to go into the dollar pool to purchase steel for motor-body building in order to keep 23,000 workers in South Australia employed. Those workers were supporting the strikers in New South Wales. It seemed that Gilbert and Sullivan were born before their time. He did not want to take from workers the right to strike but surely to goodness it could be properly used for matters of principle and not for tinpot matters that disrupted the Labour movement and upset the economy of the country. He made an appeal for solidarity in the trades unions in which the rank and file of some of the unions were not observing the authority of their electe! officials. Discussing world affairs, Mr Chifley said financial position was the vital concern of Australia. If no adjustment were made between Britain and the U.S.A., Australia would have a scarcity of dollars for necessary norma! imports. Grave economic consequences would follow and Britain, the greatest market for primary products, would be severely restricted. Imperial preference had been regarded as of the greatest value to primary producers at.d also to some secondary industries. It was necessary that the Labour movement understood the proposals which were being made regarding what Britain was prepared to do and what Australia was prepared to forego in retui n for some concession which, from the economic point of view would be equal to or of greater value to Australia. This Imperial preference was the burning question of vital importance to the Labour movement.