N.S.W. Steel Dispute May Affect N.Z.

Chronicle (Levin), 8 July 1947, Page 5

N.S.W. Steel Dispute May Affect N.Z.

Press Assn.-

Bv Telegraph

-Copyright

Received Monday, 7.0 p.m. SYDNEY, July 7. i Today, with the 40-hour week leg'islation in New South Wales scarcely seven days old, Australia is faeed with what may develop into one of the costliest and most extensive industrial disputes in the turbulent history of the Commonwealth. The action of the steelworkers who failed to report for Saturday work and who insisting, without an attempt &t , compromise, on working a week of five., days' bf 40 . hoiirs, ni.ukt ; threaten the developmenf ©f^very^.' industry in Australia * and New Zealand which depends on steel. It has been obvious here for some time that the introduction of the 40hour week in New South "Wales would bring violent industrial upheavals: Two f actors have made , that result almost inevitable. Firstly, there was the precipitate action of the New South Wales Government in granting shorter hours "to all workers under State awards ' while avoiding the vital step of laying down how those hours should be worked. Secondly, and a more important factor, is the existence of a number of powerful and strong Left wing unions which have been "accustomed to aecomplishing their ends by ' ' direet action."

The pattern is made crazier when ,ope : realrses that the last successf ul . .local use of direct action was when Sydhey watersiders refused to load galvanised iron for Papua because of a number oi storm damaged houses in Sydney working class suburbs. Now the action by the ironworkers threatens to cut by a third, the entire production of galvanised iron. The management of Broken Hill Proprictary requests that the men should work a six-day roster so that the plan may operate to full efficieney to overcome a twelve month lag in supplyino- orderf?.

Last Saturday nearly 1,500,000 cubie feet of gas went to waste because coke ovens have to be kept eharged seven days a week and on Saturday there were not suffieient men available to make use of the power. The fight is being led, signifieantly enough, by Mr. E. Thornton, national secretary of the Federated Ironworkers Association and well known in Australia for his Left wing aetivities. ' ' Mr. Thornton knows perfeetly well," says the Telegraph, that the company cannot give his federation what it asks without bypassing the Arbitration Court. Wliich of the parties is taking the more proper stand should be .plain to everyone who believes that Parliament should make the law of this country and administer it on behalf of the majority." The Herald says that tliough both parties consider the existing steel industry awards are obsolete and the company proposes to seek a full revision from the Industrial Commission, the nion had already begun to try to enforce its claims by direet action. "The Ironworkers Union has boycotted the 40-hour hearing and has refused to observe Mr. Justice Cantor's ruling that Saturday shift work is necessary in the public interest," the Herald states. "Though Mr. Thornton denies that the issue is arbitration versus colleetive bargaining, the union 's taetics bear close resemblance to' those of 1945 wken it paralysed the steel, eoal and shipping industries in a vain attempt to dictate its terms. "