ELABORATE PICKETING OF SYDNEY WATERFRONT

Chronicle (Levin), 21 March 1947, Page 7

ELABORATE PICKETING OF SYDNEY WATERFRONT

Press issn.

By Telegrajoh

.-Copyright

Received Thursday, 8.50 p.in. SYDNEY, March 20. No indications of an early end to the Sydney wharf strike, now in its tenth day, could be seen today as the watersiders went ahead with ciaborate- pians for picketing to prevent voiunteer labour. When the alleged terms of the settiement worked out in Canberra were referred to officials of the Sydney brancli of the Waterside Workers' Eederation, the president (Mr. "W. Coghlan) said the formula did not seem tooffer any hope of settiement. He and his executive had not received any official details. The Canberra' report suggests the possibility of.overtime being wiped out except in special cases when approval of the union would have to be obtained. it is understood the Government may direet the Stevedormg Industry Commission to accept this c.ompromise. To add to the confusion, Mr. Chifiey said in the House of Representatives today that he understood that the watersiders were prepared to work overtime until the lag was overtaken. There is no sign of this attitude in Sydney. A motion of urgency by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. V. Treatt) to have the food situation debated in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly was today defeated on a party vote. Mr. Treatt said in the interests of the people it was imperative that the Government use every means in their power to ensure that food urgently required should be unloaded. Premier McGirr said he did not believe Mr. Treatt Avas in earnest. The matter was receiving the closest possible attention by the Commonwealth Government which had appointed Senator Asliley to investigate it. He himself was in almost hourly contact with Mr. Cliifl'ey. Mr. Darby, one of the organisers of Tuesday's meeting of citizens in the Domain said: "The Government gave permission for mails to be unloaded by post office employees, but is scared to allow volunteers to toucli vital foods. 1 approached a produce merehaut yesterday for permission to unload a cargo of swedes which he owned, but he said he would rather lose the cargo than risk a bashing. 5 ' A Melbourne message states that the Federated Ironworkers ' Association and Federated Enginedrivers5 and Firemen's Association decided to take common action with the Amalgamated Engineering Union in an extension of the metal trades dispute. As a result the members of thcse two unions will be withdrawn with engineers from transport and other industries tomorrow night. This action is not generally supported by Ihe other unionls involved in the metal trades dispute but the effect will be almost a complete stoppage of all the industries concerned.