MELBOURNE TRANSPORT STRIKE SETTLED

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 January 1948, Page 5

MELBOURNE TRANSPORT STRIKE SETTLED

COMMUNbiS NIAkLY had TRADE UNIONS BEATEN Recd. 11.10 pm. Melbourne, Jan. 16. The Melbourne tramways strike has ended. The Essential Services Bill was introduced in the Legislative Assembly at 7 p.m. last nignt and passed and sent to the Legislative Council. The settlement of the transport upheaval .which threatened to paralyse tiie city, is undoubtedly a Government victory. The Premier (Mr. Hollwayi is consent to refer to the settlement as “a triumph for good Australian commonsense.” He added that the Communists brought the trade union movement to the verge of destruction, and that it had been saved only by the more moderate elements of the Trades Hah Council. The leader of the Labour Partv (Mr. Cain) exerted every effort to end the strike without invoking the new Emergency Powers Bill. Behind tne settlement was a threat of a general upheaval, which Mi Hallway admitted he wished to avoid. The State Executive of the Tramways Employees Association, which met to-day, recorded a strong protest against the “punitive legMatkn passed by the State last nignt,” and urged the recommendation that they will work a six-day roster until April 1 and will get a five-day 40-hour week then or on April 15, and overtime for meal breaks of more iha.i one hour under an interim six-day roster.

The strike began 13 days ago and has cost £162,500 loss of revenue and £58,500 loss in wages. After a confer ence at 2 a.m to-day powerhouse employees went back to work and stationmasters called men from their homes, with a result that suburban trains were running to-day. Seamed and watersiders decided to end their strikes at midnight to-night. Developments late on Thursday night raised hop?s that the industrial upheaval would be averted, although some of the first stages had already begun. The Newport powerhouse employees had decided to cease work at midnight and did so; and thus imine bilised the suburban electric tram service.