Watersiders Capitulate

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 461, 17 September 1928, Page 9

Watersiders Capitulate

TO WORK TO-DAY Federation Gives Orders to JBranches KNOCK FOR EXTREMISTS (United P.A. —By Telegraph — Copyright) SYDNEY, Sunday. FE sensational collapse of the waterside workers’ strike is reported. At the conference of the Waterside Workers’ Federation in Melbourne it was decided by 47 votes to 22 to instruct the members at all ports to resume work under the terms of the new award to-morrow.

The decision was only reached after a hot debate. The militant members attempted to prolong the strike. The main factors which caused the men to decide to return to work were the determined attitude of the owners and their threat to engage free labour. Another cause of the speedy termination of the strike was the shortness of the waterside workers’ funds with which to carry on the struggle. The Queensland delegates to the conference refused to accept the ruling of the conference to resume work. • They said they would not commence work again except under the old State award. This attitude of the Queensland men may prevent a resumption of work to-morrow, as the shipowners may insist on the observance of the new award in Queensland prior to the resumption of work in other ports. The Premier of Victoria, Mr. E. J. Hogan, has arranged a conference with the shipowners to discuss this aspect. Although the strike lasted only a week it has cost the country lore than £1,000,000.

Another message from Melbourne says that, following upon the decision of the shipowners to engage free labour if the strike were not settled, the meeting of waterside workers decided to return to work at all ports under the new award. Mr. Hogan has called a conference of the owners and the waterside workers to discuss the new award. Work will be resumed at all ports to-morrow.