REFUSED OVERCOATS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 22935, 4 July 1944, Page 5

REFUSED OVERCOATS

Fire Brigades Out On Strike (Rec. 9.20 p.m.) SYDNEY. July 3. All labour was withdrawn from Sydney’s 67 metropolitan fire stations to-day with the exception of a central flying squad to attend fires in public buildings such as hospitals and schools. Later a State-wide strike of firemen was called. This was the sequel to non-compliance with the men’s demand that an overcoat be issued to each of the 669 firemen in the State by 7 o’clock this morning. Reinstatement was also demanded for 16 men suspended for refusing to do firewatching duties without the issue of individual overcoats.

At a meeting held on Friday, the firemen decided that they would refuse to do work exposing them tb the weather unless they were supplied with individual overcoats. They did not then refuse to fight fires. The present arrangement is that firemen called upon to do duties exposing them to the weather use a few overcoats which are supplied to stations for this purpose. No individual overcoats are issued. The firemen claim that they are the only- uniformed body of men in New South Wales not issued with overcoats. They have been demanding them unsuccessfully for 15 years.

A later message states that the strike of firemen ended late to-day after a compulsory conference between the parties before Mr Justice Taylor. His Honour ordered the Board of Fire Commissioners to supply each member of the service with an overcoat within a reasonable time. With only officers manning the stations the record number of 36 calls were received during the day. Of these 34 were false alarms. The officers blamed nractical jokers.