POWER STRIKE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25299, 5 September 1945, Page 7

POWER STRIKE

EXTENSION THREAT

NEW SOUTH WALES DISPUTE (Reed. 8.10 p.m..) SYDNEY. Sept. 1 The acting-Premier of New South Wales, Mr Baddeley, will confer with the Prime Minister, Mr Chifley, to find a formula for a settlement of the Bunnerong power station strike. The dispute has extended to the Pyrmont power-house, Sydney, where the engineinen were withdrawn. The maintenance men have threatened that if other stations supply power to the County Council they 'will also become involved in | the dispute. The Bunnerong and Pyrmont stations are now being operated by "white collar" volunteers, who took over in response to an appeal by the County Council. Enginetlrivers and firemen members of the running staff at both powerhouses subsequently refused to I work with this volunteer labour and I walked out also. I The men are on strike in defiance of the opinion of their unions. The Bunnerong enginedrivers and firemen decided to request an extension of the strike to enginemen on the coalfields, which would mean a general coal stoppage in New South \\ales and the j loss 0f*48,000 tons daily—more than all |the other States produce. The request I will he decided by telegraphic vote by i members of the State executive of the ' Federated Enginedrivers and Firemen's Association. 1 The decision may take several days uid much now depends on the current negotiations with the State and 1' ederal jovernnients. Meanwhile, there has jeen no interruption in electricity supply in the metropolitan area. This is due to the efforts of salaried officers permanently employed at Bunnerong and the stand-by station of Pyrmont and volunteer staff recruited from other council services. MINERS' PROPOSALS ELIMINATION OF STRIKES LONG-TERM AGREEMENT (Reed. 5.35 p.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 4 The miners' convention meeting in Sydney decided that there should be. a departure from the use of the strikf weapon and that the miners should serve on the colliery proprietors claims to be covered by a national agreemenl extending over five years. It was claimed at the meeting thai a long-term agreement and the elimina tion of strikes would assist in stabilising the industry by ensuring continuity of wages and conditions anc would pave the way to greater produo tion. Delegates said the plan would als< develop a greater sense of responsi bility among miners. The claims to be served on the col liery proprietors include 52 weeks' worl and pay each year, including thre< weeks' annual leave and three weeks sick pay; a .'is-hour week of five days adult payments at 18 years; no stop pages other than on safety issues utiles authorised by the central committee payment- for statutory holidays and aj propriate shift rates. The convention again urged nations' isation, and temporary meai ures that all State Governments tak over the mines in each area. Nearly 7000 tons of coal was lost ye< terday because of disputes at mine eight of which were idle. Because of t! i coal shortage 700 employees of Au Jtralian Glass Manufacturers, Sydne, i have received dismissal notices, and tl j remaining 1700 employees will recer ! notices today. The secretary of the con jpany said the dismissal of 2400 en : ploy ops would mean the closing down < the works. ROAMING MILLIONS EVICTIONS BY POLES AWFUL PLIGHT OF GERMAN LONDON, Sept. | Between 8,000,000 and 12,000,000 Ge | mans are now homeless wanderers as result of mass deportations from tl territory provisionally assigned Poland under the Potsdam Agreemen according to welfare workers. The welfare workers expect that m lions of these people will die this wint if immediate action is not taken. 'l'll l say preniission should be sought i'ro the Polish Government for at least tl temporary return of the Germans some agricultural areas where the crops i are not reaped and the towns and villages are empty. No autumn sowing has i been done. Evictions are still going on ! from Danzig and Pomerania, although | the flow from Silesia is slowly diminishI ing. Poland, it is reported, intends to de- | port 15,000,000 people altogether. The j local German authorities are anxious to move on the refugees when they arrive j in Germany so that the food shortage i in their districts will not be aggravated by the refugees. As a result of the mill- ! ing about and hopeless confusion, disease ! ami hunger are spreading. There are lines of rough graves outside the raili way station at Kottbus, beyond the Western Neisse, between Dresden and | Berlin.

PUPPET IN HIDING CHUNGKING ALLEGATION (Reed. 6.10 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 4 A correspondent in Chungking says it is reported there that the actingPresident of the Japanese-sponsored puppet Government in Nanking, Dr Chen Kung-po, is in hiding in Japan with eight of his supporters. The Chinese authorities will demand the handing over of this puppet group. The Japanese news agency reported that Dr Chen Rung-po committed suicide, but the Chungking report says that he and his party flew from China to Kyushu ten days ago. WAR CRIMINAL TRIALS BELSEN CAMP COMMANDANT (Heed. 5.35 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 8 The office of the Judge AdvocateGeneral has announced that the trials lof the Belsen camp commandant, Jose! Kramer, and 50 guards on charges of mass murder will begin at Luneburg on September 17. The trials are expected to last a fortnight. The 1 rial of 8000 alleged war criminals and traitors began today before the People's Court in Prague. Several Courts are in action simultaneously. The Judges in many cases are inrlividuals who served lengthy terms in various German concentration camps. ATOMIC BOMB RADIATION GREEN HILLS TURNED BROWN (Reed. 7.30 p.m.) TOKYO, Sept. 4 "Second radiation" turned green hills behind Hiroshima brown several days after the atomic bomb attack, according to Japanese newspapermen. Green ricefields live miles distant were also completely browned. Many wounded victims sent to hospital became insane. Physicians said they could find no remedy for the bomb's effects. Persons ten miles away were paralysed in the spine. Residents at Hiroshima calmly stood and watched the atomic bomb, anchored bv two parachutes, slowly fall. It exploded at 1000 feet.