THE SYDNEY STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 3, 28 September 1917, Page 5

THE SYDNEY STRIKE

Miners /still obstinate

QUIBBLING OVER TRIFLING

POINTS

SOLEMN AGREEMENT )

BROKEN

■ An announcement of the settlement i>f. the great Australian strike and tho terms upon whioh both sides had readied agreement wtis raado in The Dominion of Wednesday last. The latest Sydney filoa, which bring the situation to' September 20, shoiv* that the Strike Defence Committee announced its decision to call off the strike on September 19. .fill the rail arid tram workshops men, including the amalgamated engineers and iboilermakers, in obedience to the com- ■ mittee's decision, have decided to sign tho required application forms," said ithe "Sydney Daily Telegraph" of September 20. "This means that the dispute, 'so far as the railway and tramway service is concerned, is at an end. Many ,of the men, however, will not be able to . /obtain re-employment, partly because .of r the contemplated reduction in .staff consequent upon war conditions, find partly , bec-ause a large number of loyalists who .'■Jiayß proved oonipetent desire to remain 'in the service. The wharf labourers last night decided to report for work today. A meeting of the council of the •Australasian Coal and Shale Employees' Te<leration was held yesterday afternoon, tind it is understood that as a ■.•esult certain steps are being taken with a view to .■bringing about a resumption of work on the part of the miners. An early resump- . of work is also expected on the pert of the other unions still out—namely, seamen, coal-lumpers, and meat industry Employees.", THE ACTING-PREMIER'S COMMENTS ■ i GOVERNMENT STAND VINDICATED, "The Tailway strike lias been settled," jfeaid Sir. Puller, Acting-Premier, the men resuming work on the terms originally laid down ,by the Government, and by the acceptance of the Government's .'declaration regarding the,position of the jjoyalists. From the outset the Government had.laid down four conditions it "fxerarded as. vital. - "(1) The men were to go back,to work 'ton the ,card system as existing in this itandwick and Eveleigh workshops on :lAugust 1, the Government undertaking, after the expiration of three months, to Vappoint an independent tribunal to in'quire • whether its operations were fair ,-and just. This condition has been accepted. ' "(2) The Government offered as a part •»f the system to give to every workman the right to inspect and initial each (lay .-lis' card relating to . the ,previous day » ..•work. This condition lias been accepted, ' f "(3) The Government agreed to faoilijftate the hearing by the Industrial : . Arbitration Court of any specific industrial {rridvfinces under lyhich the men were ißuffering. This condition has been ac- ■ cer»ted, and the Industrial, Commissioner jivill refer directly to the Arbitration fCnurt anv alleged industrial grievances. ' "(4) The Government from the first •Ynade it dear that if tho Arbitration iCnnrt had no power to deal with any of Ithe grievances which were industrial ifthey would secure an afnendment of the ' !Act to'allow such matters to be eubjimitted to the ,Oourt..biit on ths ; distinct that the business rnanage- . Mment of the railways was not in any way oto 'be interfered with. This condition /;"hn = been accepted. j . "The' Government, at the outset," conSinned Mr. Fuller, "stated that it would 'stand by any loyalists who had come to ■'the assistance of the country during the [present crisis.' In accordance with that {pledge (a) those employees of the Commissioners who remained loyal have now ,-their present position and seniority guaranteed to them; (b) every loyalist volunteer now in tho employment of the Comitmissioners .who .has given satisfaction , ftrill, .if, lie so desires, be .retained in sthe service of the Commissioners.' With regard to those positions in the'service %hich have not yet been actually filled .by employees who have remained loyal, }br by loyalist volunteers, or by strikers pwho have already returned to work, the Chief Commissioner is given discretion to Fnlfct whom lie chooses to fill those posts. '•Before employing further outside workr ..iers, however,. the Commissioner underj'takes to consider the claims of men who Trero employed in the Tailway and tram- ' Vrav services on August 1. lam liope,inl," added the./ Acting-Premier, 'that ithis agreement will dispel for all time ithe allegation that the present GovernIment is opnosed to the .principles of •unionism. I may assiire the men that the Government looks forward to _tne Immediate re-establishment of those haTjrionions relationships which ought to exist between the State; and i its employees." 1 APPLYING FOR WORK QUIBBLING OVKT? WORDING QF ■ FORM. '< When , the nion'presented themselves (for re-employment at Ihe railway and 'tramway offices they were, called upon to ■£U up two forms. One, which was headed "form of application for re-employ-jnent of men who left duty on strike, .tread, as follows-.—"l hereby make application for rc-employment in the Comnuseioneis' service, and fully understand that if it : bo approved it is on the con- , dition. that my re-employment will be coverned by such directions as have been • .issued by the Commissioners in regard to. .grade, seniority, and rate of pay. Tho other, -which is tho ordinary application form,' was .in nse-beforo tbe strike, inquired the name, postal address,. and ai?e of applicant; whether—(l)• mairied or single, (2) father or brothers m sorvice, (3) previously employed in Commissioner's service; and, if so, (a) where employed, (b) date ,of leaving, (c) did • you resign, (d) wore you dismissed; and, •Jf so, for what cause? , . ' Tho men objected to going back to work on the Commissioners' conditions as to seniority and rate of pay; also to the ■words "who left dutv on strike. There appeared to bo no objection to the ordin-ary-form. Tho latter objection was upheld by the Government,' and the words ' were deloted. , . \