DECLARING THE STRIKE OFF

*THE WORKER* 
Brisbane, June 13, 1891

Recommendation of Strike Committee Approved by General Executive.

At the time of going to press (Thursday morning, June 11) it has just been decided by the Strike Committee at Barcaldine, with the approval of the General Executive, A.L.F., that the following telegram should be sent to the various unions camps:-

Not enough funds to carry on strike. Shall committee declare strike off, relying on men to maintain union without union officially conceding freedom of contract?

This recommendation has been forced from the Strike Committee by the impossibility of making both ends meet even with the closest economy. The men are still as solid as rocks and prepared as a body to make any sacrifice and endure any suffering for unionism, and the Committee would certainly not hesitate to ask them to endure if by their endurance victory would be assured. But though it is still a moral that the squatters must yield at general shearing if the unions could hang out solidly till then, for with all their free labourers the squatters have been getting very few competent shearers, yet it is natural that very many fairly good unionists should weaken in front of exceptional hardships.

Already, the men in camp have borne a great deal and their fidelity in the face of all that has happened rains, floods, military, police, squatter magistracy, resurrected George IV. Laws, and Governmental tyranny, has been marvellous,

Chairman Ryan, writing last week to the General Executive, states that not 100 unionists had blacklegged throughout the whole bush. To prevent the dissensions which further strain might likely cause and which would not only certainly destroy all prospects of success, but weaken unionism permanently, is evidently the duty of the Strike Committee. And that it will be wisest for the bushmen to accept the recommendation anybody who knows the weak as well as the strong points of human nature must see.

As matters stand it is of course impossible to say much on the position one way or the other. But whatever happens the bushmen may be relied upon to be as loyal to their unions in time of adversity as they have been in the hey-day of success. Nor will they forget the assistance rendered by the South; nor their comrades whose release from prison must be agitated for unceasingly until it is secured. 

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(But this was not the end of the story, it was just the beginning, out of the Shearers Strike the Unions realised the only way they could get better working conditions and wages was at the ballot box. So under the "Tree of Knowledge" in 1891 at Barcaldine a political party was formed by the Members of the Unions which eventually would become the Australian Labor Party and it has been going ever since.)