SYDNEY BUTCHERS' DISPUTE.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 643, 14 February 1914, Page 5

SYDNEY BUTCHERS' DISPUTE.

PROSPECT OF FIGHT.

EMPLOYERS TAKE STAND,

Received Friday, 10.15 p.m

By Telegraph..—Press Association.— Copyright Sydney, Friday.

In connection with the butchers' dispute the Employers' Conference resolved to withdraw the recent offer made by the retail butchers, and declined by the Butchers' Union, and appointed a permanent committee to deal with the dispute. The general impression is that there is more in the employers' attitude than actually appears on the surface. Frequent references at the employers' meetings to New Zealand and South African strikes indicate that conclusions to be drawn therefrom, and .that if pushed further they will not decline a fight to a finish along the whole line. EMPLOYERS TAKE INITIATIVE. ALL WORK STOPPED. HUNDREDS RENDERED IDLE. Received Friday, 9.45 p.m. Sydney, Friday. Since the breaking of the New Zealand strike there has been a growing movement among Amtralian employers in the direction of unity for resisting the employees' constant demands for high wages and shortening hours,. The wharfroen's lazy strike and the butchers' trouble have added a strong impetus to. the movement. Following the Employers' Federation ukase, at the conference to-day, the pastoralista and farmers' associations, and all tradeß directly or indirectly allied with the meat industry decided to unite for the purpose of firmly resisting the butchering employees' demands They discussed the proposal to withdraw the employers' offer to the strikers, and finally adopted a resolution appointing a permanent committee to deal with diiputes. The speeches indicated that the employers had reached the limit of compromise. The committee subsequently appointed representatives to meet the Minister of Labour and also decided to supply hospitals and other Government institutions with meat. Those folding stocks of meat in cool storage are asked to place them at the committee's disposal. When the men attended Glebe Island Abbattoirs to-day they found that with the exception of one or two establishments all work had ceased. Hundreds of men are idle. The men claim this constitutes a lock-out. AN ABORTIVE CONFERENCE. FIGHT TO A FINISH. NEW ZEALAND'S EXAMPLE. Received this day, 9.55 a.m. Sydney, This Day. At the conference between the Minister of Labour and the employers, Mr Estell after difficulty, succeeded in gaining the consent of the employers to renew the offer previously withdrawn, believing a settlement rould be effected. This, however, the Grand Council of the Union rejected, and negotiations are now closed as far as the Department of Labour and Industry is concerned. There is every indication of a protacted struggle. When the meeting of the ' Master Butchers' Association heard the decision of the union to turn down the employers' offer they unanimously decided not to back down but fight it out. The chairman said the onus of the whole trouble now rested with the me", and any move toward settlement must come from them. After to-day no meat will be procurable. All shops will be closed and any meat left over will be given to charitable institutions. On Monday there will be no meat whatever and the whole trade will be disorganised, including the export trade. The cold stores supplied carcases for export, which are now on the local market. Only the pig and calf section of the slaughter yard is working, and vesterday the surplus cattle were turned out to grass. Following the New Zealand lead the farmers are willing to come to Sydney as strike breakers if neccessary. The Workers' Union and the Labour Federation decided to stand by the men. The secretary of the latter suggests the Government should order the sale of stock in the public interests. The price of canned sheeps' tongues has already advanced. Stocks of produce daily are very light and any extra, demand will send prices up rapidly.