N.016
Sydney Morning Herald 20.7.43
A conference called by the Minister for Labour, Mr Knight, yesterday failed to reach agreement in the bread strike.
Bread is expected to be in short supply in Sydney to-day and tomorrow.
To-morrow is a bakers' holiday, and double supplies must be baked to-day.
The position has been made more difficult by the union decision to withdraw members from factories which had been observing the interim award.
One hundred men who had been working under the interim award stopped work yesterday in accordance with this decision.
The union decided on Sunday that they should be withdrawn because, it was alleged, they were being asked to supply bread for other bakeries. The union contended that in this way they were "aiding and abetting" the employers.
The strike is now in its second week. Members of the disputes committee of the Labour Council have been placed in charge of the dispute.
The Under-Secretary of the Department of Labour, Mr Ebsworth, convened the conference yesterday.
The union representatives asked that the interim award should continue to operate until a Royal Commission could investigate the whole industry. The employers contended that the men should return to work under the new award.
They said that, although they did not approve a Royal Commission, believing that the Industrial Commission had already investigated the industry, they were not in a position to oppose it if the Government decided to hold the inquiry.
A deadlock ensued and the conference broke down.
[The new award provides that the men should start work at midnight on double days and the interim award fixes the starting time on such days at 4 am].
Mr H W Relf, secretary of the Master Bakers' Association, said last night that master bakers hoped that the shortage to-day and to-morrow would not be marked.
"Even in normal times double days are busy times," said Mr Relf. "With our depleted staffs, it becomes a job of great magnitude. After Wednesday we will return to normal supplies again and we feel that we will be able to meet the demand."
The effects of the strike of operative bakers are being felt more in some Sydney districts than others.
Any shortage is expected to be more acute to-day and to-morrow because double supplies will have to be baked to-day.
Sandwich shops reported yesterday that although supplies were lighter than usual they had obtained enough to meet their requirements.
The general manager of Sargents Ltd, Mr Baldwin, said that his company had been able to secure normal supplies and expected to continue to do so.
A representative of the Abbco Bread Co. Leichhardt, said that so far customers had not been rationed. Automatic machinery meant that the shortage of skilled men was not felt as keenly as in other bakeries and full supplies might be maintained over the holiday. Several bakeries which relied on manual labour had been forced to cease or restrict baking operations.
Mr M J Hawkins, of Hawkins and Abberton, said that the strike was affecting his firm less than had been expected. Enough bread to supply customers was available although some of it had to be bought from other bakers. This meant delays and the lack of skilled labour had resulted in a falling off in quality.
The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Mair, yesterday attacked the State Government for its "inaction" on the bread strike.
"The fact," Mr Mair said, "that people are being seriously inconvenienced, that basic food is being withheld, and that lawlessness in the community is being encouraged apparently mean nothing to the McKell Government, whose only concern is that nothing must be done by it to offend the operative bakers who flagrantly disregard the law."
PERTH, Monday-Ending the deadlock of the past three months, the Acting Minister for Labour, Mr Holloway, has signified his approval of the award by Mr President Dwyer in the Western Australian Arbitration Court providing for day baking.
Mr Ward MP acting in his then capacity as Minister for Labour, had refused to sign the order implementing the new award, on the ground that forfeiture of the 10 [shilling] night allowance constituted a reduction in wages and that this was prevented by National Security Regulations.
A telegram indicating Mr Holloway's approval of the award was received by the Court to-day.
[On April 13 the Court delivered judgment in the dispute. The judgment provided for day-baking and for abolition of the 10 [shilling] a week night allowance. A draft order was sent to Mr Ward for approval. The award, however, was not made. Mr Ward informing the Court by letter that he considered that any reduction of wages in such cases would not conform to the general principles of National Security (Economic Organisation) Regulations.
Mr President Dwyer protested that one paragraph in Mr Ward's letter might be construed as contempt of court. Mr President Dwyer contended that the extra 10 [shillings] a week for night work should not be retained, since that was the amount which the workers had agreed to accept as a consideration for the previous alteration from day to night work.
Mr Ward replied that he had not issued any instructions to the Court about the order it should make in any matter. He declared that he was not, however, "a rubber stamp". In support of his contention that the 10 [shillings] should be retained, he quoted Statutory Rule 76, Regulation 15 (2) and Statutory Rule 232, Regulation 2 (ca) 11.
Mr President Dwyer, in a public statement, declared that the two regulations quoted by Mr Ward had nothing more to do with the case "than the flowers that bloom in the spring."]