SIGNIFICANT MOVE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26026, 14 December 1945, Page 5

SIGNIFICANT MOVE

LEADERS CONFERRING COMMUNISTS’ DILEMMA (Rec. 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 13. The most significant move in the strike situation is the meeting to-day of the three strike leaders —Mr L. J. McPhillips (ironworkers), Mr H. Wells (miners), and Mr E. V. Elliott (seamen). Strong pressure from other unions for a settlement and the unequivocal stand by Mr Chifley are believed to have placed the Communists in a position from which they will quickly have to extricate themselves, says the Sun. Federal Ministers believe that they are considering their moves to-day, that their earlier uncompromising attitude may be changed, and that hopes for a settlement are brighter than before. In some union circles it is forecast that the Central Council of the Miners’ Federation may have decided to order the miners to resume work on Monday. Among mine managements there is also an element of anticipation that there will be an early resumption of work, and preparations are being made at some mines on the assumption that they will be operating on Monday. It is predicted that if rank and file meetings meetings are held there will be an overwhelming majority for an immediate resumption of work. In view of the possibility of aggregate meetings being called it is interesting to recall that in a total vote of 4722 from the membership of about 18,000 the majority for a strike at aggregate meetings on December 3 was only 712. Abortive Conference No progress was made at this morning’s conference in Melbourne between the Federal and State Ministers for Labour and the chief general manager of Broken Hill Proprietary, Mr Essington Lewis. A conference of the Australasian Council of Trade Unions and the Sydney Trades and Labour Council representatives of the three unions mainly concerned and the New South Wales Minister of Labour, Mr H. Knight, will, however, be held in Sydney to-morrow to discuss the position further.