LABOUR IN AUSTRALIA

Otago Witness, Issue 3804, 8 February 1927, Page 51

LABOUR IN AUSTRALIA

THE QUEENSLAND DISPUTE. BRISBANE, February 1. The compulsory conference of the master builders and employees in connection with the 40-hours week strike was abortive, and the application of the employers for the deregistration of the striking unions will be heard in open court to-morrow. UNIONS DEREGISTERED. BRISBANE, February 4. A mass meeting of the building tiade employees resulted in an overwhelming majority against submitting the question of returning to work to a ballot. V'lien this was announced to the Arbitration Court, Mr Justice Webb stated ihat the court had decided to cancel the registration of the unions defying the court, but in justice to the unions Deserving the award the court would allow the award to stand. The court was crowded, a.id Shore were disorderly scenes after the jv.dgmmt was delivered. A section of the crowd, singing “The Red Flag,” greeted the employers’ representatives as they entered with ironical cheers, while the employees’ representatives were cheered lustily. As the members of the Bench entered they were greeted with cries of “Make vay for the masters!” After the result of the mass meeting was communicated to the Bench the court adjourned to consider its verdict. Libel then broke loose again, the crowd shouting and whistling and singing revolutionary songs. Altogether four unions will be disregistered.

MR E. G. THEODORE.

SYDNEY, February 1. Mr E. G. Theodore has opened his campaign in the Dailey by-election. lii his first speech he it was obvious that there was no hope of a vigorous forward policy from the present Nationalist Government. Referring to the Imperial Conference, he said that so far as Australia was concerned the decisions reached there were negligible. It was a mischevious claim of Mr Bruce that Australia should have the right to be consulted concerning British foreign policy Australia could not afford to be embroiled in England’s Continental manoeuvres, and as a nation Australia would be wise to mind her own business and let Britain deal with her own troubles with her neighbours without involving in any way a dominion like Australia. Nothing could be more mischevious than the action of the Federal Government in contemplating Australian intervention in China. No foreign people had a shred of justification to interfere there, and such meddling would be provocative and highly dangerous. Talk e of an Australian militaristic adventure in China was criminal madness, and those who aided it were a menace to their own peace and safety. The speaker then referred to the tariff. He said that a more rigorous application of Protectionist principles was the settled policy of the Australian people, as it was realised that the hope., of attaining full nationhood depended upon the development and expansion of the secondary industries.

Mr Theodore concluded by denying that anywhere under Labour rule was there any evidence of the application of extremist doctrines. BUILDING TRADE DISPUTE. BRISBANE, February 3. The application of the master builders for cancellation of the building trades’ award and the deregistration of the striking unions was heard by the Board of Trade. No decision was given on the application, but the unions’ representatives agreed to call a mass meeting to consider a suggestion by the president of the Board of Trade that a ballot should be taken on the question of continuing the strike or returning to work.

A SOVIET CONSPIRACY. SYDNEY, February 1. At the congress of the Australian Workers’ Union Mr Boote, an executive councillor and a trustee of the Australian Workers’ Union, delivered a statement alleging that the vice-president of the Executive Council (Mr A. C. Willis), with two others, had entered into a conspiracy with the Communists to Sovietise the Australian Labour Party, and to secure control of the party in order to introduce Soviet legislation. WATERSIDE WORKERS AWARD. MELBOURNE, February 2. In the Commonwealth Arbitration Court Mr Justice Beeby, in delivering judgment in the waterside workers’ claim, deferred the question of preference, stating that before deciding the claim he wished the executive of the federation to consider what steps it was prepared to take to ensure observance of the award, and to prevent branches imposing local rules and issuing orders to members contrary to the award of the court. At present he had not formed an opinion that preference was necessary. JOB CONTROL. SYDNEY, February 4. There was a new departure in job control when the Chinese crew of the steamer Marella delayed the vessel’s departure for an hour by taking exdeption to a European cook, and refusing to man' the ship while he was on board. The company compromised by transferring the cook to another vessel. x INDUSTRIAL MISSION TO AMERICA. SYDNEY, February 6. The Industrial Mission to America will leave by the Niaga-a on Thursday.

LABOUR PRESIDENT SUSPENDED. BRISBANE, February 6. The executive of the Brisbane Trades and Labour Council has decided to suspend their president, Mr J. C. Valentine, for declining to -withdraw from the Federal Government's Industrial Mission to America. WATERSIDE WORKERS. MELBOURNE, February 1. In the Arbitra un Court Judge Beeby fixed the following rates of overtime for the Waterside Worker';’ Federation: — Five o’clock in the evening to midnight, 3s per hour; midnight to 5 a.m., ss; 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., 3s; Saturday, noon to midnight, ss; Sunday, midnight to 7 a.m. bn Monday, ss; ordinary holiday:;, ss; extraordinary holidays, 6s 6d. This interim award operates from today.