LABOUR UNREST IN AUSTRALIA

Southland Times, Issue 25537, 4 December 1944, Page 5

LABOUR UNREST IN AUSTRALIA

STRONG CRITICISM OF GOVERNMENT (Rec. 7 p.m.) CANBERRA, Dec. 2. The Federal Government had betrayed patriotic Australians as well as Allied fighting men, said the Country Party leader, Mr A. W. Fadden, during the final stages of a debate on a war statement by the acting Prime Minister, Mr F. M. Forde. Mi’ Fadden accused the Government of home front inaction, of subordinating national considerations to those of party politics and of failing to control industrial anarchy. He said that the industrial situation had continued to deteriorate since the last parliamentary recess. In the 20 months to August 31 last 1432 industrial disputes had involved 588,951 workers and had resulted in the loss of 1,461,761 working days. In 1943 there were 812 industrial disputes compared with 667 in 1942. They involved 355,597 workers compared with 193,390 in 1942 and the man working days lost had increased from 417,729 to 903,536.

Mr Fadden said: At times during the 20 months to August 31 industrial disputes wholly or partially deprived the neutral citizen of meat, bread, laundry, newspapers, car tyres, theatrical entertainment, hospital attention, buses and trams, coke for stoves, restaurants, hot baths and country and inter-state travel as well as other amenities.” Mr Fadden blamed Communist agitators for some of Australia’s industrial troubles and asked the Attorney-General to have a check-up made of their activities. FRUITS OF VICTORY The Minister for Transport, Mr E. J. Ward, said that the industrial unrest was due to people wondering whether they were going once again to be robbed of the fruits of the victory won by their sacrifices. Mr Ward referred to the pending banking legislation and said the Government would make its policy clear at the proper time. “If we can use hundreds of millions of pounds’ worth of national credit in wartime we can use it in peacetime for building homes, for soil and water conservation . and for reafforestation plans,” he said. “The national credit of the country can be used through the Commonwealth Bank to do these things. The Opposition had better realize that this Government is not going to be intimidated. We are going to effect radical changes in this country and the people will get the benefit.” The session which included many hours of bitter recrimination finally ended for the lack of a quorum and was adjourned to a date to be fixed. An Opposition member protested that important matters were being neglected and said that Parliament should sit next week.