TIMBER WORKERS’ STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1929, Page 7

TIMBER WORKERS’ STRIKE

STATEMENT BY EMPLOYERS’ FEDERATION. owing to the conflicting reports that are appearing, the employers Disputes Board at Melbourne made the following plain statement of the facts:— (1) The strike is due to the refusal of the Unions to obey a legal award delivered by His Honour Judge Lukin, and for which they themselves had applied. (2) To support their defiance, the unions then proceeded to take the la. into their own hands, to declare ter tain yards “ black ” and others “ white,” to prevent (in many eases with violence) the delivery of timber from yards they had declared “ black,” and to prevent (again by threats of violence) the transport of timber on the public highway, except by drivers to whom they had issued permits. (3) To further support their illegal actions they adopted similar tactics with building jobs, and instructed the employees to refuse to handle timber which they had declared “ black,” and by so doing tied up the whole of the work on such jobs. In other word* they set out to stop the whole of the building trade unless conducted under conditions laid down by the Trades Hall.

(4) The building trade employers decided that unless they could continue the it business untrammelled by such ini I'llerence they would cease operations, and applied to the Court for, and obtained, an order declaring a state of sti.-.e. This order authorised them legally to stop operations, but the builders, before taking advantage of it refrained from putting the order into operation until two days had elapsed. This act of grace was ignored. The builders then had no choice but to bring operations to a standstill. They have now publicly announced their willingness to resume on receiving guarantees that all jobs will be manned and work carried on without molestation, but they will not tolerate any dictation from the Trades Hall as to what material they shall use, the source of its supply, or its transport. (5) On the question of hours, which is the main bone of contention, the public should know that in June last it was agreed to refer the matter to the Full Court, and both parties gave an undertaking to stand or fall by its decision. In December the Full Court decided that 48 hours should be the standard working week in the timber industry, and the Chief Judge, in lws judgment, said that this decision was desirable in the interests of the em ployees, as well as those of the em ployers. (6) It is pointed out that in New South Wales (except in Sydney), in South Australia, and in Tasmania, and in all privately owned bush mills in Western Australia, the 48 hours and the Lukin Award are being fully observed. Out of a membership of 27,000 in the Timber-workers’ Union not morr than 7000 are now on strike agains! the award. (7) The Timber Trade employers have given written notice to tin A.C.T.U. that on the resumption of work they will go into conference with the union to discuss the award, a par' from the question of hours and the basic" wage. They recognise that bad the union not withdrawn from the Court before the final award was delivered there were points on which i! might lmve obtained relief. The employers raise no objection to the Cour making further investigations into the '-,ia m:es of the trade, the union having insinuated that the evidence given t' the Court in that matter was not in accordance with facts. (8) The employers wish it to b clearly understood that upon resunip tion of work all irritating tactics, aaffecting any section of industry wliic’ lias been drawn into the current dis turbance. must cease.