PROTECTED INDUSTRIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25238, 29 May 1943, Page 5

PROTECTED INDUSTRIES

PREVENTION OF STOPPAGES. AUSTRALIAN REGULATIONS (Rec. 7 p.m.) CANBERRA, May 28, ' National security regulations have now been gazetted to outlaw wartime strikes in Australia. The regulations provide that when any unlawful lockout, strike, or stoppage occurs, at a protected undertaking the re-" sponsible employers or employees can be called up for military or' manpower service. The Prime Minister, Mr J. Curtin, is given power to declare that an employer shall lose his exemption from service in the defence forces and that an employee shall ceace to be an employee in protected undertakings. The new regulations are the Australian Government’s latest attempt to prevent stoppages on • the waterfront, in coal mines, or in any other protected industry where employers or employees have been attempting to benefit from their exemptions from call-ups. Protected workers who have believed themselves immune from a call-up because of their value to the war effort will now find' themselves just as liable as any other class of worker. If large number of protected workers strike it is believed they will’ be ' called up for military service, formed into labour corps, and put back to work on the duties .they had refused to perform as civilians. The regulations have particular application to small minority sections of the coal miners and waterside workers who have been responsible for recent stoppages.