STRIKES COLLAPSING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26027, 15 December 1945, Page 7

STRIKES COLLAPSING

IRONWORKERS RELENT DESIRE TO RE-REGISTER SETTLEMENT IN SIGHT (Rec. 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, Dec. 14. An application for re-registration as an industrial union of employees was lodged by the Federated Ironworkers’ Association (New South Wales division) with the State Industrial Registrar to-day. This is the first step towards a settlement of the New South Wales strikes, which have paralysed industry and thrown hundreds of thousands of people out of work in recent weeks. The miners leaders expect a direct resumption of work on all New South Wales coalfields on Monday and a collapse of the shipping strike is also imminent. Fourteen days must elapse before the hearing of the ironworkers application can be commenced. The union is requested to insert a copy of its application in one metropolitan daily newspaper and serve a copy of the application on every union likely to be affected. .Within 14 days of publication any union may lodge an objection to the application. Although the law vacation commences on Monday the president of the Industrial Commission, determining the' urgency of the matter, would reassemble the court. Mr Chifley said to-day he had strong hopes of a settlement of the New South Wales industrial dispute. “On behalf of the Commonwealth Government I have enunciated a main principle—that every avenue by which the differences between the ironworkers and the Broken Hill Proprietary could be adjusted should be explored through the State Industrial Commission which is dealing with the matters in- dispute. Settlement of industrial disputes by conciliation and arbitration is a plank in the Labour Party’s platform and it was confirmed by the recent Federal Conference of the Australian Labour Party,” said Mr Chifley, In the meantime representatives of the Miners’ Federation and the Federated Engine-drivers and Firemen’s Association are meeting the Minister of Supply, Senator W. P. Ashley, on the demarcation dispute which arose over a miner doing a fireman’s work at a colliery and held up 16 Newcastle pits before the general stoppage. Union officials expect the basis of an agreement to be reached which will enable resumption in all the pits on Monday. The striking seamen will make their decision following mass meetings of ironworkers on strike at Port Kembla and Newcastle, said the general secretary of the Seamen’s Union, Mr E. V. Elliott. Though seamen have grievances of their own, it is believed they would follow the ironworkers and the miners back to work.