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Fort Strikes
FEDERAL
GOVT.
:SXES»S, IN
'CANBERRA, Thursday.
'i "/'Counsel- for tlie Com-
"momvealth Government
has been Instructed to
apply immediately to Mr
Justice Kirby, chairman of
the Stevedoring Industry
Commission, for a com
pulsory conference of all
parties in the Sydney and
Melbourne wharf strikes.
Tlie Minister for Labor and
National Service, Mr Holt, an
nounced this in the House of
Representatives this afternoon.
He said present legislation
affecting waterside workers
gave them' special privileges,
and the Government felt
that it had a right to expect
special conduct because of it.
Mr Holt said the Govern
ment's complaint In this case
was that the processes of
arbitration and conciliation
had not been taken. In one
case a judge's offer to act had
been deliberately flouted.
One of the ships affected by
the dispute was a vessel which
was due to leave Australia for
New. Zealand to' pick up New
Zealand forces and munitions
for Korea.
COURSE DECIDED
Commonwealth counsel would
move for the Judge to call the
compulsory conference tomor
row, said Mr Holt. A course of
action had been decided on; but
he could not disclose it.
The Melbourne branch sec
retary of the union, Mr H. E.
Clarke, said today that the
men were told at the mass
meeting yesterday of the
Judge's offer to arbitrate. The
Judge had apparently' been
mistaken about this.
Men Reject
Offer
The Melbourne execu
tive of the Waterside
Workers' Federation to
day rejected Mr Justice
Kirby's offer to act as
arbitrator in the wharf
strike.
Grave shipping congestion
threatens as the strike enters
its third day. Already industry
is feeling the effect.
All berths are occupied and
the freighter Changsha Is wait
ing at anchor. Tomorrow six
others will have to cast anchor
in the bay.
More than. 5500 waterslders
are on strike because of the sus
pension of a gang on the inter
state freighter Caradale last
week. Fifty-five ships, includ
ing 31 oversea vessels are
affected. -
WHARFMEN
MEET S.I.B.
SYDNEY, Thursday.— Rep
resentatives of, the Waterside
Workers' Federation and the
Stevedoring Industry Board
arc- meeting tills afternoon to
discuss . new issues raised
yesterday by w a t e r s i de
strikers.
: These include:— .
1.— The right of owners to dls-
: miss union members in over-
< time hours before work is
' completed.
2.— The right of. the SIB to sus-
' pend men for carrying out
< directions of the union execu-
. tive.
3.— Payment of the £1 basic
wage increase from Decem
ber 1.
It Is considered unlikely that
work will be resumed this week.

mlt STRIKE From Page 1
liCKETS FAIL
(N RAIL JOBS
As the return to work movement among
ilmen spreads, pickets are trying vainly
keep the men on strike.
The chairman of Railway Commissioners, Mr
n Wishart, said that hundreds of men were
ek on the lob doing good work inspecting
cks adjusting signals, and cleaning points.

Today union officials at
tempted to prevent 39 men
from starting . at the Bal-
larat North workshops. The
attempts were ignored, and
the men worked.
When 31 car cleaners re
ported for duty at the Dudley
Street shelter shed a number
of men locked arms to form a
barrier.
A police patrol arrived, and
ordered the ' arm-lockers off
the premises.
Later pickets, who had
planted themselves in toe Mel;
bourne yards, were ordered off
by the police, too.

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