THE HOURS STRUGGLE

Southland Times, Issue 19859, 3 May 1926, Page 7

THE HOURS STRUGGLE

INDUSTRIAL UPHEAVAL POSSIBLE. Sydney, April 30. The latest development in the forty-four-hour trouble is that the District Committee of the Amalgamated Engineering Union this afternoon decided to instruct its members to present themselves at work on Monday morning, despite the notices posted by the employers that unless they worked on Saturday they would be dismissed. The union has 7000 members, 45 per cent, of whom enjoyed forty-four hours under the State award. Several of the affected unions are arranging to hold stop-work and mass meetings to-morrow, and a meeting of secretaries of all such unions has been called for Monday forenoon. The latest report from Melbourne is a statement by Mr Holloway, secretary of the Trades Hall Council, that at the conclusion of a lengthy'interview with Mr Bruce, with a view to securing his intervention, Mr Bruce promised consideration of the representations made to him. He, however, is considered unlikely to depart from the attitude he previously adopted—that he had no power to intervene. The position as it at present stands is that if the members of the affected unions carry out their decision not to work to-morrow they will not be allowed to resume work on Monday, and wide industrial trouble will be precipitated, in which probably the unaffected unions will also become involved. Both sides appear determined to stand their ground.—A. <fc N.Z. ATTITUDE OF ENGINE-DRIVERS’ UNION. Sydney, May 1. Mr Myhill, secretary of the Metal Trades Employers’ Association, announced that he has been officially informed by Mr Pinkerton, district secretary of the Federated Engine-drivers’ and Firemen’s Association, that the Federal Executive of the Union has decided to instruct members to work forty-eight hours a week in terms of the Federal award. Mr Atkins, State secretary of the association, said it should not be inferred from this decision that the association has no sympathy with the forty-four hour week proposal. As a matter of fact, application is now before the Federal Arbitration Court for a variation of the association’s award to provide a forty-four hour week. Mr Garden, commenting on the refusal of Mr Bruce to convene a conference to discuss the forty-four hours week, said if an upheaval occurred Mr Bruce would have to shoulder the responsibility. It could not be said he had not been given an opportunity to avert an industrial crisis. If the employers in the metal trades carry out their threat approximately 40,000 workers will be out in the industry.—A. & N.Z. 20,000 MEN IDLE. (Rec. 5.5 p.m.) Sydney, May 2.’ The conflict between the employers and the unions in the iron trades over the 48-hour week and the Federal Awards began to-day. It is estimated that 500 engineering workshops in the State employ-, ing 20,000 men are thrown idle. The whole of the men concerned were dismissed., At the Clyde works 800 engineers, boiler- ( makers, ironworkers and moulders absented ; themselves, but members of the Engine. Drivers and Firemen’s Unions turned up; ready to work on the forty-eight hours! basis.—A. & N.Z. j