OLD DISPUTE REVIVED

Taranaki Daily News, 8 May 1930, Page 18

OLD DISPUTE REVIVED

AUSTRALIAN WATERFRONT, Sydney, April 24. The last has not yet been heard of the upheaval An the waterfront which in 1928 brought about an almost ruinous dislocation of Australia’s seaborne trade. From that particular trouble Sydney was free —mainly owing to the foresight of officials who saw the inevitable defeat —b u t jn Melbourne, Adelaide and Newcastle there were serious riots, and a very deliberate attempt to break down law, and order. It was at the most critical period of the dispute that the shipowners decided to employ free labour, and the free labourers, particularly a number of foreigners,’ were brutally attacked in Melbourne. Tho origin of the dispute was simple but showed the absolute arrogance of trade unionism in its worst form. A conference of the Waterside Workers’ Federation was called, and it instructed its members to repudiate an award of the Federal Arbitration Court 'as far as it concerned the appointment of picking-up places. The union took up the view that the award—-really the law—must not be obeyed unless it* suited the union to so obey. The shipowners decided to adhere to the award, and so a strike occurred. Before long the community was faced with the problem of deciding whether defiance of law by the waterside unions was to ba allowed to cause ruin and privation unchecked', or whether an effort was to be made to keep industry going. It was not long before all the free° labour required for the wharves was forthcoming. Then followed the riots, in which the strikers resorted to violence. The unionists were defeated, but tho free labour has remained and work has proceeded more smoothly than ever before.

The election of the Federal Labour Government filled the defeated strikers with a fresh hope. They looked to the Government to take up their case, and after considerable delay this the Government has done. It has proclaimed a picking-up places those places desired by the unionists, and for which they went out on strike. But the shipowners, who are pledged to retain the services of the volunteers, have shown defiance of the Government. The Federal Govern-, ment says it is determined-' that the o ; wnera ■ shall obey the law, which, say the owners, means that it is.siding with

the unionist law-breakers. And so it is that a very interesting position has I arisen. A real test of strength is likely, as the /ners will do everything in their power to protect the volunteers. The fight has only just begun. The owners ’ South Australia have decided to counter any move by the Federal Government by employing a permanent staff of wharf labourers, who will be paid a fixed sum each' week And any overtime . they may earn. When surplus labour is required they , will,, go to the unionists. The same policy will probAbl>y< : be >pu,t into force i.c Melbourne,