The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1911. THE SYDNEY STRIKE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13524, 4 November 1911, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1911. THE SYDNEY STRIKE.

Wii referred the other day to several instances of disinclination on the part ol aggrieved workers,, to follow the advice of their chosen loaders, and suggested that this aspect of the settlement of the great industrial problem was one that had to bo seriously considered. The Sydney strike may be* quoted as a striking case in point. A little over a fortnight ago the wharf labourers at Sydney who arc employed on tho inter-coastal vessels struck for an increase of wages, demanding a rise from Is lid to Is (id per hour for ordinary time and from 2s 3d to 2s fid for overtime. All of them were working under an agreement, duly signed, sealed, and delivered by their own representatives, by which they undertook to receive Is 3d an hour for ordinary work and 2s 3d for overtime. As that agreement is still in force, and the steamship companies have not notified their desire to vary or alter it in any way, it goes without saying that the wharf labourers, by their overt action, not only placed themselves in direct opposition to their representative men, who have urged them to stand by their bargain, but have risked tho alienation of public sympathy. As tho officials of the Unions have reminded the men, the strike is a deliberate breach of a recently-signed agreement. The strike is therefore a glaring breach of forma! faith, and is condemned by the Labour Council. All the worst features of the strike and none of its occasional redeeming ones are present here. It is no case of sweated workers crying out .to a sympa-' luetic public for relief or of hard conditions making their own appeal. The men earn good wages, and have absolutely no grievance except that another class of labour employed on another class of similar work is paid more. The strikers are only able to say by way of extenuation that been use the deep-sea workers have been successful in securiiig advances to Is fid amt 2s fid respectively they are determined u> get tho same rates. There are, it lias always been alleged by the men concerned, reasons why the deep-sea wharf labourers should be conceded higher wages than their coastal brethren; but, even if that were not so, it is a fact that the distinction has always been made, consequently the least tho coastal men could have done in justice was to give time for consideration of a request for equality, instead of declaring a stand-aml-deliver strike. As the executive of the Federation of Waterside Workers pointed out, the agreement just signed gave the Sydney branch all it asked for, and even more: and the delegates to tho Melbourne Conference and the Hon. W. M. Hughes (president of the Federation) have gone so far as to assume that tho men did not known when they struck that the agreement made early this year had been signed, or they would have honoured it by remaining at work. Ho reminded them of the terms of the agreement by which they are bound, of the penalties for which they are liable, of the injustice their breach will be to every member of the Union, and he appealed to their honour to stand by their contract. The men, however, were adamant, and refused to return to work unless deep-sea rates wore granted to them. The position of these officials is that the men, by continuing tbo strike when informed of the position, have repudiated them and their agreement, and it now remains for the Government to enforce the law. On this point there seems to be considerable doubt. The Hon. Mr Hughes states that the President of the Arbitration Court is of opinion that the Federal Government has no jurisdiction in regard to the strike, and tho Attorney-General declares that tho State Government can take action if it desires. The Federal Premier, on tho other hand, says that no matter what other Governments did, the Federal Government could bo relied on to enforce the law. That being so, we may look forward to a speedy termination of tho trouble, for it appears that an ovonvhclmuing majority of the men arc opposed to the strike. !Thc irony of it is that the trade and commerce of a community can bo dislocated by a section of malcontents acting against the advice of their leaders.