1929 Timber Workers strike

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The 1929 Timber Workers strike was a labour dispute in Australia caused by Judge Lukin of the Arbitration Court handing down an industrial award decision on December 23, 1928 to reduce the wages and increase the hours for 20,000 timber workers from a 44 hour week to 48 hour week. It was the first strike in Australia after the onset of the Great Depression.

An initial response by workers at mass meetings on January 3 covered by the award in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide was to refuse to work the four hours extra stipulated by the Lukin award. This then precipitated the employers applying to the court that a strike existed. The penalties of the Arbitration Amendment Act, enacted in 1928, were then invoked.

The dispute widened with carters and crane drivers striking in solidarity. A special conference of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) on February 7, 1929 agreed to extend the strike to a general movement; to boycott the Federal Industrial Court; and for the conduct of the strike to be managed by the ACTU Disputes Committee.

On February 25, Justice Lukin ordered a secret ballot of the timber workers in Victoria and New South Wales. This was the first attempt to enforce a secret ballot in an industrial dispute. On March 1 Lukin imposed a fine of 1000 on the Timber Workers Union, followed by a fine of 50 on Ted Holloway, Secretary of Melbourne Trades Hall Council. A protest meeting outside the Sydney Trades Hall on March 25 was attended by 25,000 trade unionists. At this meeting 3000 strikers publicly burnt their ballot papers. The crowd then marched to Hyde Park where an effigy of Justice Lukin was burnt.

The secret ballot was largely boycotted by the workers. When the votes that were cast were counted they were 5000 to 700 against acceptance of the award in New South Wales and Victoria.

The strike was marked by a high degree of union solidarity, with pickets placed to deter scabs. Women played a particularly active role in the dispute holding weekly meetings, attending picket lines and collecting money.[1] Several women were prosecuted and sent to gaol for collecting money for the strikers. There was considerable community and union support[2] mobilised for the strikers, which enabled them to survive on strike for so long.

After five months the strike came to an end on June 24 on the basis of a 48 hour week, but with an independent inquiry to be appointed into the financial condition of the industry.

At the end of July seven union leaders, including Jock Garden, the Secretary of the Labor Council of New South Wales, the Secretary of the Timber Workers Union, and the Chairman of the ACTU disputes Committee were charged with "unlawful conspiracy by violence and threats of violence" to prevent timber workers from working. A jury subsequently acquitted all those charged.