The horse reared and threw off the Police Commissioner, giving him an injury resulting in a limp for the rest of his life. Emma Miller, a frail woman in her 70s barely weighing 35 kilograms, stood her ground, pulled out her hat pin and stabbed the rump of the Police Commissioner's horse. Police and Specials attacked crowds in Albert Street under the direction of Cahill, who shouted, "Give it to them, lads! Into them." Meanwhile, Emma Miller, a pioneer trade unionist and suffragist, led a group of women and girls to parliament house and, while returning along Queen Street, were batoned and arrested by a large contingent of foot and mounted police. Mounted police and special constables in Market during the general strikeĪn application by the strike committee for a permit for a march on 2 February 1912 was refused by Police Commissioner William Geoffrey Cahill – the day came to be called Black Friday for the savagery of the police baton charges on crowds of unionists and supporters.ĭespite the refusal of a permit, a crowd estimated at 15,000 turned up in Market Square. Commonwealth military officers and spare-time troops volunteered as special constables, and many of the specials wore their commonwealth uniforms into action. At this juncture it banned processions, swore in special constables and issued bayonets to its police force. It was only when the strike spread to the railways that the Queensland government became concerned about the situation. However, McCormack considered the pretext for the strike to be flimsy and AWA members soon returned to work. William McCormack and the Amalgamated Workers' Association of North Queensland (AWA) initially lent their support to the strike. The strike committee regularly issued an official Strike Bulletin to counter the expected anti-union bias in mainstream newspapers. The strike spread throughout Queensland with many regional centres organising processions through their towns. The procession was described as being led by Labor parliamentarians, with the procession being eight abreast and two miles (3 km) long, with a contingent of 600 women. On the second day of the strike over 25,000 workers marched from the Brisbane Trades Hall to Fortitude Valley and back with over 50,000 supporters watching from the sidelines. Daily processions and public rallies were held to keep strikers occupied. Red ribbons were generally worn as a mark of solidarity, not only by people but also on pet dogs and horses pulling carts. The Strike Committee issued strike coupons that were honoured by various firms. Government departments and private employers needed the Strike Committee's permission to carry out any work. The committee organised 500 vigilance officers to keep order among strikers and set up its own Ambulance Brigade. No work could be done in Brisbane without a special permit from the Strike Committee. Within a few days the Strike Committee became an alternative government. The trade unionists of Brisbane went out on a general strike on 30 January 1912, not just for the right to wear a badge but for the basic right to join a union. After this rebuff a meeting of delegates from forty-three Brisbane based Trade Unions formed the Combined Unions Committee and appointed a General Strike Committee. Despite this they were managed by Joseph Stillman Badger, an American, who refused to negotiate with the Queensland peak union body, then known as the Australian Labour Federation. The Brisbane tramways were owned by the General Electric Company of the United Kingdom. Women marching during the general strike.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |