DAY-LONG STRIKE NOT POPULAR WITH MEN

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5308, 22 January 1947, Page 6

DAY-LONG STRIKE NOT POPULAR WITH MEN

■ , -fp. ■■ ■■ ... ■■ Hitch-Hikers In Hearse Make First Complaint SYDNEY, January 21. When strike pickets tried to break up the emergency transport system ' near the end of the tram and bus stoppage of 24 hours in Sydncy, the police arrested four pickets. Wild scenes occurred around the Maniy wharf v/hen pickets interfered with the emergency system organised by Mr. E. D. Darby, M.L.A. The sevvices were later resumed by an overwhelming vote of transport employees. The best story of Monday's traffic confusion resulting from the stoppage of trams and Imses eomes from the iiiarine suburb of Mar.ly, where, after unsuccessfully hailing several vehicles two men accepted a ride in a hearse. The driver said he had no room in front, but tbat Ihey eould ride behind. In thanking the driver after they had reached their destination, one passenger said: "We had a pretty bumpy ride." "That's the first complaint we've ever had," replied the driver.Mr. Darby afterwards said that few of the nickets were Manly bus strikers, most of them being Communists, whose only conneetion with the strike was to use it as a means of .naking trouble.

After ihe stop-work meeting on Monday, whieli Mtpriwd eity workers of their usual means of transport, tramway and motor bus- employes in Sydney deeided by "G34 votes to 71.) to resume services from the commeneement of the all-night tram services at 1 1 p.m. It was deeided to defer strike action until the Arhitration Court deiivurs its judgrner.t on penalty rates. The men agreed to abi.ie by the leadership of the Australasian Councii oi Trades Unions in the matter of the 40-hour week. It was a stormy meeting. Cries of "Commo" and "Take him off" hegan when the assistant-secretary of the tramvvays section moved that the strike should be continued until the claims were met. An amendment by Mr. A. G. Bagnall, secretary of the bus section, that beeause of the obvious disapproval of the whole trades union ■novement the men should return to work ar.d leave the t'raming of uniform policy to the Australasian rouncil, was i-arried by a marg'in which astonished even those who had antiripated the defcat of the Left Wing element. Police estimated that there were nore vehieies in Sydney on Monday than during the last stoppage on October 11. At midnight hridge oificials estimated that moro than 20,000 vehicles had passed throtigh ihe toll g-ates of Sydney harhour hri.ige during the day. Newcasxle tramwaymen and bus employees have l'ollowed the lead of Sydney men it: returning to work, the voting being" by a similar overwhelming marg'ir. ■ : - ,crrr. . .u