PRODUCTION STOPPED IN SYDNEY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 90, Issue 55, 7 March 1946, Page 5

PRODUCTION STOPPED IN SYDNEY

SERIES OF STRIKES AT GLASS FACTORY Recd. 7 p.m. Sydney, March 6. Because strikes have made it impracticable to carry on, the Crown crystal glass factory in Waterloo, South Sydney, is suspending production on Friday. For the past six years the factory has been the sole manufacturer in Australia of cups, saucers and other domestic glassware. Between 600 and 700 of the 1200 employees will be dismissed on Friday and others will follow soon after. The manager states that in recent months the glassmakers, blowers and pressers had staged a series of stoppages in endeavouring to force the management to grant them a 40-hour week. The management took the issue to the president of the Sate Industrial Commission, saying it was prepared to abide by the award of a 40-hour week. The men agreed to work according to the award, but did not tell the management that this was only until February 15, by which time they expect the Federal Government to introduce a 40-hour week. Since that date there had been nothing but strikes, and the management felt that the factory could not continue under those conditions. The spokesman for the glassworkers admitted that all the stop-work meetings were designed to compel the management to discontinue production on Saturday mornings. AMMUNITION DEPOT ALSO. Because of a inter-union dispute among 100 men employed at the R.A.N. ammunition depot in Homebush Bay, the authorities are considering closing the depot. Eight employees, all members of the Com-munist-controlled Federated Ironworkers’ Union, have been on strike two days because they refuse to work with others who recently resigned from the union. Non-unionists are the only men working, anti other Navy depots will not handle work from Homebush Bay.