DOCKYARD WORKERS ANNOYED

Southland Times, Issue 25513, 6 November 1944, Page 5

DOCKYARD WORKERS ANNOYED

Lord Keyes Raises Storm

(Rec. 11 p.m.) SYDNEY, November 5. Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Keyes, has made charges that working conditions in Australian dockyards have delayed ship repairs. The Commonwealth Navy Minister, Mr Makin, has criticized Lord Keyes’s statement as “regrettable and provocative.” Speaking at Brisbane Lord Keyes referred to a Pacific Island base where an Australian warship is reported to have been sent for repairs.

He said: “At this base they work 24 hours a day as all sailors and soldiers are perpared to do in all conditions of service, instead of as in this country where the number of hours worked a day and the number of days worked a week are controlled by somebody of whom I have not any knowledge.” Many union leaders have expressed strong resentment at Lord Keyes's remarks.

The president of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, Mr J. Cranwell, said that Australian ship repairers often worked 48 hours in one shift.

An examination of the figures at one Australian ship repair base showed that recently 483 men averaged 84.7 hours weekly. “If Lord Keyes has any comment to make on matters concerning the Royal Australian Navy it would be more appropriate if he communicated them to the Australian; Government rather than make a provocative public statement,” said the Navy Minister, Mr Makin. “Operational aspects are so closely associated with the details of this subject that I am not prepared to make a public statement at present. I regard it as most inexcusable for any other person sharing equal responsibilities in naval matters to do otherwise.”

A mass meeting of 3000 dockyard workers in Sydney protested against Lord Keyes’s remarks, declaring them to be “unfair to Australian dockyard workers and particularly those in Sydney where work has progressed continuously for 24 hours daily since the outbreak of the war.”

Lofd Keyes has replied to their protest, saying he would be delighted to put “the fighting man’s case” before them. His offer has been accepted and the Admiral ha been promised a courteous hearing. L ekyard men will ask Lord Keyes to hear their view.