That certain Jewish manufacturers in Melbourne are responsible for the propaganda in the daily press against certain other Jewish manufacturers who, it is alleged have been guilty of “sweating” their Jewish employees, is the statement made to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency correspondent by the correspondent by the Secretary of the Melbourne Trades Union.
“Some Jewish manufacturers.” he said, “who did not hesitate to underpay their hands when they first started business some years ago, are today conducting a campaign against other Jewish manufacturers who do the same thing. The manufacturer who underpays his hands can make an article cheaper than can the man who, because of his standing in the business world, is forced to pay the wages prescribed and is unable to evade the law. And certain Jewish manufacturers have not hesitated to lay information against coreligionists when they were making articles more cheaply than they could offer them.”
Several Jewish manufacturers here got themselves into serious difficulties as a result of their having attempted to provide work for Jewish immigrants who arrived here in necessitous circumstances. Australian industry is very heavily loaded with laws and regulations governing wages and conditions of employment. The wage of any employs is regulated by the court as are the hours during which he may work. Any infringement of the “award” is very heavily penalized by the courts and great power lies in the hands of the Australian Trade Unions as far as the enforcement of an award is concerned.
There is great bitterness, particularly among those who have aided newcomers.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
