Communist-Dominated Unions Breaking Up

Chronicle (Levin), 6 August 1949, Page 5

Communist-Dominated Unions Breaking Up

(N.Z.P.A.^

r-Heutev.

ComiriQht)

. Bepeived Pridgy, 9,5Q p.m. SYDNEY, August 5. The most heartening iign ' to tlie moderates in the coal strike developments is the way in which the pre-strike blop oi Communist-eontrol-led unions appears to be ' breaking up. During the past three years the greatest thieat - to industrial peace has been the way in which certain unions tended to act in concert. The unions listed by the former Comunist, Cecii H. Sharpley, included the Miners' Eederiation, Seamen's Hnion, Waterside Workers' Federation, Federated Ironworkers' Association, Amalgamated Engineering TJnion, and Federated Enginedrivers and Firemen's Associatipn. Recent developments h.aye plainly revealed that these uniqns (are no longer acting together, and that ip some qf them at "least strong schisjnatip movements are developing. The statement by a Labour memper eonfirmed by Senator Ashley (Minister of Fuel and Shipping) that follpwing the c'oal strike the Commun.ist Party intended to provoke an Australia-wide stoppage through the Waterside Workers' Federa.tion is regarded as the most signifieant revelation qf the week. Union officials, however, believe that such a coqtingency is now remote because of visible clefts in the fabric of the federation. The Brisbane watersiders have repudiated an attempt by thp Communist-dominated central ^executive to organise Australia-wide one-day stoppages as a protest against the gaij^ing for contempt of the Arbitration Court of J. Healy and E. Roach. In Yictoria the watersiders who previously demonstrated their disapproval of the militant ban on the freighter Haligonian Dqke have also declared against the protest stoppages. The Sydnev watersiders, who 'demonstrated against the imprisonment of McBhillip and who later rparched. through the Svdney streets as a protest against the applicatidn by . the shipowners for the abolition of appearance monev, did not produce a ' ■ spontaneous" reaction to the imprisonment of their own officials, Healy and Roach. * So mixed is the Australia-wide reaction samong the watersiders that the Federal executive committee has been forced to give an undertaking to the Arbitration Court that there will be no further wateffront stoppages pending the reconsideration of the gaol sentences bv the iWleral Couneil. . The moderates say that the watersiders are afraid to strike for fear of losing their appearance money and privileges as !he newly constituted Stevedoring Industry Board has proved that it will, not compromise with direet action. Dissension Among Ironworkers The Federated Ironworkers' Assoelation has met trouble ovqr the refusal of its militant executive 't'o return ' "the funds removed ftqm the bank in defiance of Federal legislation. The Newcastle branch is derrjanding an election and is threatening a vnfe of no-eonfidence in the executive. Strong opposition tq Communist methods in the Sydney branch led to an assault pn moderate delegates this week. Th Amalgamated Engineering TTnion has taken no officia] nart in' the strike and the Federated Enginedrivers aird Firemen's Association has merelv trailed along. The moderates believe that unless the militants gain an ttnforsseen victory their dav in t]iis great bloc of Australian unions is done.