INDUSTRIAL CRISIS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25673, 23 October 1944, Page 6

INDUSTRIAL CRISIS

SYDNEY’S TROUBLES NO MEAT OR TRANSPORT (N.ZP.A. Special Correspondent) .U' SYDNEY, Oct. 21. Sydney continues to be in the throes of industrial upheavals. To-day the city faces a meatless week-end—which is likely to extend into an indefinite number of meatless days. At midnight to-morrow it will be confronted by a 24-hour stoppage of most of its transport outside of the State-owned services. This one-day transport strike will further affect Sydney’s food position, since there will be no cartage of fruit or vegetables to the city markets.'oh Monday. Most of the butcher shops, which are •hut to-day, are expected to remain closed at least until the end of next week. A mass riieeting of meat industry employees has decided not to handle meat for civilian consumption. The workers will kill only for export, for the armed forces, and for essential services.

More than 10,000 workers in Sydney’s transport and meat industries will‘be idle from midnight to-morrow until noon on Monday. ~ -^ "This evidence ..of rapid deterioration .in national unity, manifested industrial troubles, coupled with the flagrant disregard by organised unionism for the laws of the land, mriSt cause grave concern to thoughtful citizens,” declares the Sydney Morning Herald to-day. The paper, which is reappearing after a fortnight ’of suspended publication because of the printing industry dispute, continues:

"They must view equally seriously as a threat to the very foundations of democracy the passive condonation or active support of illegalities by Minister! of the Crown. '. No Government action, or threat of action, has been announced. The national security regulations apparently mean nothing on those occasions when they should legitimately be used against a politically potent group. The community must view, with mounting perturbation and distrust Governments which tolerate flamboyant lawlessness and remain inactive and silent—except when such Ministers as Mr A. A. Calwell and Mr C. J. Ward speak to encourage the law-breakers—in times of Industrial crisis.’*