MEN UNANIMOUS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 577, 1 February 1929, Page 9

MEN UNANIMOUS

WILL NOT WORK 48-HOUR WEEK . TIMBER INDUSTRY CRISIS (United P.A. —By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) Reed. 10.40 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. A unanimous decision to adhere to their previous refusal to observe the 48-hour week award of Judge Lukin was given by a mass meeting of timber workers, which was attended by over 1,000 men at the Trades Hall. The decision takes effect to-day. It is reported that 2,500 men. will be affected in Melbourne by the closing of timber mills. All work may cease at Holden’s Motor-body Builders, Ltd., in Adelaide, and 3,000 men will be thrown out of employment. A telegram received from Melbourne yesterday said that the dispute came to a head in Victoria yesterday morning. The members of the union employed at the three largest timber yards in the metropolitan area failed to respond'to the 7.30 a.m. whistles to start work. After that hour they found the doors locked against them. The timber yards affected are those of John Sharp and Sons, Ltd., James Moore and Sons Proprietary, Ltd., and Millar’s Timber and Trading Co., Ltd. All are in South. Melbourne. In an effort to avert an extension of the dispute the Federal Attorney-Gen-eral, Mr. J. G„ Latham, and Mr. J. E. Ogden, of the Department of Industry, who is a member of the Senate, le* Canberra for Melbourne last evening. Preparations were made on Wednesday by the employers in the timber yard, sawmilling and allied industries in Sydney for a strike as from to-day. It is expected that if the men refuse to conform to the decision of the Arbitration Court, and cease work rather than accept the 48-hour week, the majority of the timber yards and sawmills throughout New South Wales and the adjoining States will be idle within a few days. MAY CLOSE DOWN COLLIERIES IN NORTHERN N.S.W. DISTRESS AT CESSNOCK l Australian and N.Z. Press Association) Reed. 10.32 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. The chairman o£ the Northern Collieries Association, Mr. C. McDonald, stated to-day that unless the crisis in the coal Industry is quickly ended a number of Newcastle and Maitland collieries would have to close down. Tenders are being called by the South Australian Government for the supply of 800,000 tons of coal. The only hope the New South Wales collieries had of securing the tender was by a substantial reduction in price, he said.

Statements that the children of unemployed men are either starving or ill-nourished were made at a public meeting at Cessnock, which was convened by the Mayor to discuss local distress.

The meeting carried a resolution viewing with disgust the Government’s action in allowing children to starve.