FROM BROKEN HILL.

Industrial Unionist, Volume 1, Issue 5, 1 June 1913, Page 4

FROM BROKEN HILL.

Last February, with an eye to funds for the approaching elections, the Barrier A.M.A, decided to “ rope in” all and sundry. The A.M.A. carried a motion that meant having stewards attend the mines at each shift to demand a show of pence cards, those failing to show same to be ordered off. A craft conglomeration known as the Barrier Labour Federation fell into line and determined on a similar move for March 31st. The Bosses gave warning that all failing to show a card would be fired. A lost of the workers secured cards and held their jobs. This simply means that the labour leaders were dependent on the masters to force all into an organisation supposed to exist to fight the masters. What a farce !

Meanwhile, evidently waiting developments, the bosses kept silent re a certain department of the “ Barrier’s Only Industry.” The leaders, however, had overlooked the facts that there was One Big Union of the bosses and that six weeks’ notice to the men was also notice to the bosses. The masters had agreements with the diggers which they did not wish to openly violate, but there was the Silverton Tramway, controlled by the mine bosses, through which - supplies come in and products go out —virtually a part of the mining industry. The railway manager got “ the wire” to close this until 26 recently-joined members pulled out of the union. The 26 expected support from the, unionists, and the leaders pretended they would fight to a finish. The food supply was cut off, but the craft unionists made arrangements to have supplies carted from the South Australian Border. The affair can be summed up as a successful bluff by the bosses to close the mines to most of the men, yet retain sufficient labour to keep them in order. The Tramway was the lever used: the object, to test the strength of the A.M.A.

The craft union leaders, with their usual concern for the “ Public,” allowed not only food supplies to be carted in* but also passengers, including numerous plain clothes police, thus actually, though perhaps more or less unconsciously, scabbing on the Silverton Tramwaymen. A speaker at one of the meetings pointed this out in a mo-tion—-which was promptly turned down.

These “ fighting” unionists waited upon the President of the Chamber of Commerce, who informed them they were neutral. Then the B.L.F. called a citizens' meeting, which generated the brilliant idea that the Government at once take over the 30 miles of line. A telegram to that effect was despatched to McGowan, the “ labour” Premier, who, with true strike-breaking instinct, replied, in effect: ‘ ‘ Have you sufficient police to maintain law and order?”

The affair was eventually settled in court, and production set in motion again. One thing at any rate was proved—that militant unionists cannot be made by forcing a union card on te them.—T.R.