GRAVELY DISLOCATED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 287, 5 December 1945, Page 5

GRAVELY DISLOCATED

NEW SOUTH WALES INDUSTRY HALF A MILLION WORKERS MAY BECOME INVOLVED

Becfl 8.20 p.m. Sydney. Dee. 4. With all mines idle to-day, New South Wales industiy is more gravely dislocated than for many years. Already the steel dispute has thrown 36,000 people out of work, and unless there is an early settlement half a million others will bo affected. To-day’s stoppage on the coalfields is so complete that even mines whose employees are not members of the- Miners’ Union are on strike.

Drastic cuts in all New South Wales train services were announced to-day by the Kailway Commissioner, Mr. T. Hartigan. Cancelled immediately are all special sporting and week-end tourist trains, while country trains and goods traffic, will be greatly reduced, and Sydney’s electric train services during offpeak periods will run only at halfhourly intervals. The State Government is planning to operate emergency transport services in lie metropolis if power for the rams fails.

The immediate introduction ot gas and electricity rationing in New South Wales on a drastic scale, beginning from to-morrow, was recommended to the Minister for Labour and Industry, Mr. Cahill, by the supply authorities. Mr. Cahill said: “If there has to be rationing—-and it appears inevitable—ample notice should be given to ail employees.” It was learned that proposals for the rationing of gas and electricity would mean a cut of more than 50 per cent, on existing consumption. Opinion at Trades Hall to-day was divided on the prospects of Mr. Chitley reaching a solution of the steel, mining and shipping strikes at his Canberra conference with the union leaders to-morrow. Official circles in Canberra emphasised that Mr. Chifley has not changed his policy of non-in-tervention and, has made no promises. Thousands of iron-workers to-day defied the National Council of their union and refused to take part in the 24-hour stoppage—an indication that rank-and-file resentment at being involved in the turmoil by their leaders is growing. The Commonwealth Coal Commissioner, Mr. Mighell, said to-day that even if the miners resumed work tomorrow it would be impossible to maintain essential services, "let alone industry." The secretary of the Metal Trades Employers’ Association. Mr. McDonald stated that steel supplies would not return to normal until at least twelve months after the strike ended. GREATEST SINCE 1917. 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 the rearrangement of staff caused by absenteeism. He refused, and was dismissed. Other oven employees then struck. In negotiations later the strikers claimed that the dismissed employee had been victimised. Within a week 7000 men, members of fifteen unions, were involved. Mr. Justice Cantor, of the Industrial, Commission, held an exhaustive inquiry and found that the man had bech properly required to do work and that his dismissal was justified. On October 30 the Broken Hill Proprietary laid off men at Newcastle because of the shortage of coal. Employees alleged that the rights of exservicemen and old employees had been infringed, and within a week 7000 men were either on strike or out of employment at the Broken Hill Proprietary and associated industries. Broken Hili Proprietary controls Australian Iron and Steel, and the managements of both companies refused to negotiate with the officials of the deregistered Ironworkers’ Union. (The Ironworkers’ Union was deregistered by the Industrial Commission on September 4 for a deliberate and premediated challenge to the Commission’s authority. The challenge was the union stop-work order when Mr. Justice de Baun went to inspect 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. At Newcastle op. November 18 the Broken Hili Proprietary announced that sufficient coal had been accumulated to enable the resumption of work, but by this time the original cause of the dispute had been lost sight of and. the men's demands had become: Recognition of all unions, including the Ironworkers’ Union. All men dismissed or on strike to he reinstated in their former positions. Satisfactory settlement of the Port Kembla dispute. Recognition of the unions’ seniority rule. The Broken Hill Proprietary management to confer with the metal trade unions on demands for a 40-hour week, 25 per cent, shiftwork allowance, and guaranteed employment. The New South Wales Trades and Labour Council took control of the strike and declared itself in favour of the principle of arbitration, and called on the Ironworkers’ Union to seek re-registration. The Labour Council also ruled against any extension of the strike, and its decisions were supported by an iuter-Stafe conference of the Australian Labour Party in Melbourne last. week. The Miners' Federation and the Seamen's Union, however, called on their members to slop work in support of the steel strikers, and this cessation took effect as from to-day.