THE SYDNEY STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 3 October 1917, Page 3

THE SYDNEY STRIKE

SYDNEY STRIKE ENDED

MEN RESUME TO-DAY

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION. —COPYRIGHT.]

SYDNEY, October 2.

The President of the Coal Employers’ Federation has informed Cabinet that/the lodges have decided by a small majority to resume work in the mines to-morrow.

. Tho Government will n°t accept principle of tlio men returning in a body but will insist, upon a' formal application to-day. The President of the Federation subsequently stated that provided no obstacles wore placed in the way all the collier would ho working to-morrow.

THE' END OF THE STRIKE.

GREAT GOVERNMENT VICTORY

SYDNEY, This Day. With the miners’ decision to resume and.excepting the seamen who are still out, the great strike virtually ended .in a firm victory for Government rule, and with the participating unions badly worsted. Tn its breadth, its ulterior aims and disastrous industrial financial effects, the upheaval was the worst in the history of the Commonwealth. It is difficult to conceive a bigger debacle than the unionists allowed themselves, on a flimsy pretext, to be led headlong into. They have not only lost their cause, they have plunged unionism into a welter of chaos,, hut they stand publicly condemned, with their ranks riven, and with aftermath troubles arising directly and indirectly out of Die strike and requiring straightening 0)1 ti.

The outstanding features of the torm-time, was th« unswerv"”-

tortninntvon of the (Govern ment. to maintain the right to govern and conduct. public business.

The. consistent, public support, and backing, to that policy, and with few exception,s, the orderly conduct of tlm general body of the strikers was a feat-

| From tho start on August 2nd to 1 Sept. '7th the position was one of un- ! moveable firmness on both sides. ! Then hope dawned through ’’ • 1 gotintioiis of Mr Holme, the Industrial Commissioner, and tho union representatives, the outcome being that Die railway men and tramway men admitted the hopelessness of the struggle and agreed to go back under the denounced system, with an enquiry fo i follow. There was much soreness m ! certain sections, and among Die outside j unions, over the terms of the sottle- ; meat, and it looked like a renewal of i the whole trouble, but the continued : firmness of the Government and pres(sure of circumstances, with a steady , drift back of strikers, compelled the ] adoption of a more reasonable course. ; The coal miners proved obdurate, but. | finally joined in the retreat from an : impossible position.

j • DETAILS OF STRUGGLE

(Received. This Day at 8.50. a.nO SYDNHY, This Day. Necessarily it will bo some time before normal conditions arc restored, particularly as regards the depleted coal supplies. Besides many hundred •who must perforce, be idle till the coal stocks are replenished, the places ol many others who were filled hy volunteers. There, are a fair proportion ol those who wore offered work under promise that they would bo retained, il they desired not to vacate good billets. The outlook of the strikers is not height. Several unions paid the price of disregist ration, for flouting the Arbitration Court, and both llailwny Commissioners and employers generally are making the terms of re-employ-ment- clear, as an indication that the lesson of the strike is not lost upon :hem at any rate . Indications point to considerable Tiddifications of the relation between employees and employers so tar at least, as the stronger unions are eoncorned to that phase of question, is well as the strikers wage losses. A heavy blow has been struck on business, Ijotli in the city and country, and will have yet to be counted along with moral effect of suob disastrous upheaval at a time oi the Kmpiro r cal| upon Australia and her national reputation and welfare. The strikers were admittedly badly b>ih but held doggedly to their pur-

post- believing or unbelieving persisting tile whole fabric of unionism was threatened. The election and wnti-ronwcriptaon campaigns had depleted the funds and so many unions were involved in the new struggle that tho response to the. appeal for funds was necessarily not not, very large. Some strike pay was increated hut they were doles, a'nd the men were beginning to feel the pinch. The public suffered serious inconvenience, but on the whole came off well | thanks to the breadth and promptitude of the Government measures and the unstinted response aof volunteers to fill flic mins, and their own cheerful

nil tin* i readiness to fall in with tho demands of tho situation. i Tho. actual effects of dislocation are ! more real than apparent. But for tlio (idle, men in the streets, idle fleet | in the. harbour, strikers processions crowded trains and trams and shortage jof gas and oldctricity for ordinary | lighting purposes there wore little outward signs of the great upheaval and ’ it