HISTORY OF DISPUTE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23375, 5 December 1945, Page 5

HISTORY OF DISPUTE

Incident In September <9.15 p.m.) SYDNEY. Dec. 4. The present industrial crisis—the greatest since the 1917 general strike—now involves three major industries—coal, steel and shipping. It began at the Port Kembla works of Australian Iron and Steel, Ltd., on September 23, when an oven employee was directed to perform certain duties following a rearrangement of the staff caused by absenteeism. lie refused and was dismissed. Other oven employees then struck. In the negotiations later, the strikers claimed that the dismissed employee had been victimised. Within a week 7000 men members of 15 unions were involved. Mr Justice M. E. Cantor, of the Industrial Commission, held an exhaustive inquiry and fnurjd that the man had been properly required to do the work and that his dismissal was Justified On October 30 the Brokep Hill Proprietary laid off men at Newcastle because of a shortage of coal Tne employees alleged thul Hie rigids of ex-servicemen and old employees had been infringed and within a week 7900 men wore either on strike or out of employment at Broken Hill Proprietary and associated industries. The Broken Hill Proprietary controls the Australian Iron and Steel Ltd . and the manacements of both companies refused to negotiate with officials of the deregistered Ironworkers' Union. The Ironworkers Union was reregistered bv the Industrial Commission on September 4 for a deliberate and pre-

meditated challenge to the Commission's authority. The challenge was a union “stop work” order, when Mr Justice De Baun went to inspect the two factories at the request of the Australian Workers’ Union with a view to making an award. Recognition of the Ironworkers’ Union by the management became a major issue in the strike. Wider Demands At Newcastle on November 18 the Broken Hill Proprietary announced that sufficient coal had been accumulated to enable a resumption of work, bur. by this time the original cause of the dispute had been lost sight of and the men’s demands had become— The recognition of all unions, including the Ironworkers’ Union. All men dismissed or on strike to be reinstated in their former positions. A satisfactory settlement of the Port Kembla dispute. Recognition of the union’s seniority I ru'e. The Broken Hill Proprietary rpanagement to confer with the I metal trade unions on demands for I a 40-hour week, 25 per cent shiftwork allowance and guaranteed employment. | The New South Wales Trades and I Labour Council took control of the I strike and declared itself in favour of I the principle of arbitration, and call- | ed the Irqpwqrkers’ Union to seek reregistration. The Labour Council also ruled against any extension of the strike, and its decisions were supported by the Inter-State Conference of the Aiistrglian Labour Party in Melbourne lasi week. The Miners’ Federation and Seamen's Union, however, called on their members tp stop work in support of the steel strikers, and this cessation took effect as from to-day.