Sydney Watersiders Hold Oneway Stoppage; Affirm That They Will Fight The Government

Wanganui Chronicle, 26 July 1949, Page 5

Sydney Watersiders Hold Oneway Stoppage; Affirm That They Will Fight The Government

Opposite Decision Reached By Unions In Newcastle And Adelaide

SYDNEY, July 25 (Rec. 6 pm).-—More than 4000 Sydney watersiders. who held a 24-hour stoppage in protest against the gaoling of J. Healy and E. Roaeh. respectively secretary and assist-ant-secretary of the Waterside Workers’ Federation, for contempt of the Arbitration Court, attended a stop-work meeting at Leichhardt Stadium.

By a majority reported to be 50 to one, they carried a motion registering a strong protest against the court action and congratulating officials on their stand.

The motion continued: “We warn •the Government that we will resist this tyranny in a traditional Australian trade union manner, using all the means at our disposal to defeat the Government’s reactionary legislation. We endorse every step our Federal executive has taken and empower our branch executive to call protest stoppages at the most suitable times. We call upon the combined trade unions to organise a demonstration to release the leaders.” An amendment, moved by Mr. P. Kain, president of the Watersiders’ Labour Party’s industrial group, calling on the Federal Council to instruct Healy and Roach to purge themselves of their contempt, was defeated by a similar majority. A motion protesting against the importation of coal was carried unanimously. No move was made, however, to implement an immediate general waterfront stoppage. Watersiders at Newcastle, however. ' carried a motion declaring that the I imprisoned leaders should purge their contempt if they wanted to be released from prison. They ignored a I call for a general nation-wide 24-1 hour stoppage, and notified the port! committee that they were ready for] work if required. This meeting also passed a resolution supporting the I Government’s action and demanding | that the Waterside Workers’ Federa- . tion pay into the Arbitration Court the money withdrawn from union I funds. In Adelaide a mass meeting of 1500 ! watersiders decided, by an over-• w’helming majority, to return to work' immediately and expressed opposition ' to the suggestion by the Federal; Council that weekly stopw ork meet- I ings should be held and all overtime • banned. Shipowners are considering seeking i relief from the payment of some part of appearance money given all water- 1 siders who answ’er calls, whether em- | ployed or not. They say that now a j number of ships are idle because of • the coal strike there are too many I watersiders for the work offering. 1 The Australian Council of Trade '

Unions will again approach the Combined Mining Unions’ Council on Wednesday with proposals to settle the strike. Previous attempts by the Council of Trade Unions were rebuffed. This time it is proposed that within a week of resumption of work by the miners, applications will be made* for the release of their leaders and for decision by the Coal Industry Tribunal on long-service leave, with broad discussion on the minutes of an award before it is finally determined. Conferences of all parties will be resumed on a shorter working week and other matters, the decisions to be ratified by the tribunal, or failing agreement, to be determined by the tribunal. Labour Parliamentarians said at Newcastle today that the split in the miners’ ranks had become so pronevneed that aggregate meetings, if held, would vote for a return to work. Labour Party men are predicting the collapse of the strike within 10 days. The miners would not go back to work until the federation leaders were released from gaol, said the acting president of the Miners’ Federation, Mr R. Hamilton.

“There is no question of the federation calling aggregate meetings.” he said. “We will not be panicked because some {fits are going back.”