IMPORTANT CONFERENCE

Waikato Times, Volume 131, Issue 21758, 18 June 1942, Page 3

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE

TRADE UNION DELEGATES (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright (Special Correspondent) SYDNEY, June 17 More than 200 trade union dele gates from all States, together witi Government representatives, will at tend the most important industria. conference ever held in Australia to open at Melbourne on Friday. The Federal Prime Minister, Mr j. Curtin, will preside. It is believed Mr Curtin will demand that trade unions abandon ai. plans for improvement in wages Ox conditions while the war lasts. Ht is expected to tell the unions frankly that the Government has finished iu blue print for the war and it remain; only for the plan to-be put into effect. The onus to see that the plai, is implemented will rest mainly or. the unions. Large industries ii, Sydney and Melbourne have beei. earmarked for closing. The Prime Minister has stated that the operational side of the war has ceased to be a matter for Government initiative. This is in the hands of the Command-er-in-Chief, General Douglas MacArthur, and his subordinate commanders, who also control strategy in this theatre of war in relation to strategy in other places. Mr Curtin added that industry ha.-, already been nationalised to some extent and that nationalisation was likely to become increasingly necessary in future.