Tangle of Labour Unrest

Chronicle (Levin), 22 October 1946, Page 5

Tangle of Labour Unrest

Press Assn.

SHIPS IDLE IN SYDNEY

By Telegraph

-Copyrigkt

Received' Mond'ay, 9.10 p.m. SYJJXEY, Oct. 21. Simul taneonsl-y with the Melbotime aiid Adclaide stoppages, a strike is threatened in Xortli Queenslancl that niiglit spi'ead' to the rest of tlie State'. Buses carried passengers from Albury • to .M elbourne today and an inter-State bus sei'vice has beeii arranged by a private company. Plane bookings are the heaviest on record and despite the fact that rival companies are better equipped bhan ever before, hundreds ot "people have* been turned away. In South Australia, the train serviees were cancelled because the Kailway (.'ommissioxier considered that the oveitime ban by tlie unions made the scheduies impossible. In Xortli Q.\ieen&land, the secretarv oi" the Tow'nsville bi'anch of the Australian Railwavs Union said that a g'eneral stoppage c otiki be expected if tlie railwaynien 's grievances were noi remedied. Over 7U00 watersiders, sliipping clerks and ironworkers are still idle today in Kyd'ney and XewTastle aild prospect s are that more will be involved as kev m e n deciile on tactics to gain wage inereases. A stopwork meeting of shipping clerks today unanimously decideo not to offer for work on Haturday mornings. Anotlier meeting will be lield it tlie deinaiids served 011 the employers last week are not complied with. A mass meeting of eniployees oi electric lamp manufacturers at Xewcastle, is being lield to demand a basic wage increase for women eniployees atiu other inereases. Sydnev milk workers will ltold a stopwork meeting tomorrow to protest against conditions in a new award. Today there are (il idle sliips in Svdney liarbour because of tlie watersiders dispute wliicli is not yet settled. Key railwav electricians will strike for 24 hours next Priday and Alorts Doclc will close indelinitely.