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The 1948 Queensland railway strike was a strike which lasted nine weeks, from 3 February to 5 April 1948, over wages of workers at railway workshops and locomotive depots in Queensland, Australia. The main reason for the strike was the failure of the state Arbitration Court to hear claims the relevant unions lodged the previous year. In these claims the unions sought wages comparable to those covering railway workers in other states. The unions were also unhappy about the Court's apparent delay in hearing their further claim regarding weekend penalty rates, a claim which was linked to the 40-hour week campaign.
Clothing, petrol and meat were still being rationed, while a severe drought had led to meat and milk shortages in Brisbane and a reduced sugar cane harvest in the North. More than half the country's unemployed were in Queensland, and this number was rising. Amid this background, workshop and running shed tradesmen employed by the Queensland Railways Department officially stopped work at one minute past midnight on Tuesday 3 February 1948.
The Industrial Law Amendment Act of 1948 was one of the most drastic bills aimed at preventing picketing and ending the railway strike.
On 1 April, following seven and a half hours of discussion, the Central Railway Disputes Committee recommended workers accept a wage rise of 12s.4d. a week, with proportionate increases for unskilled and semi-skilled workers. While this was less than the unions had originally requested, it was substantially more than the department had originally offered. Following the recommendation of the committee, the railwaymen accepted the government's offer, and the rail strike finally ended at midnight on 5 April 1948.
Ted Englart was arrested under draconian anti-strike and anti-picketing legislation introduced by the Hanlon Labor Government to stop the Queensland Railway Strike (February - April 1948). 14 union officials were charged under Hanlon's Industrial Law Amendment Act.
"Yes, but things are going well despite it all and the workers will win".
Ted Englart - Strike Leader (1896 - 1982)
The Queensland Railway strike in 1948 resulted in anti-picketing legislation being enacted by the then Queensland Labor Government against the workers.
Defying the requirements of the anti-worker law, with many others, and continuing his leadership on the picket line in support of the striking railwaymen, Englart, with four other comrades (Max Julius, Charley Graham, Joe Esler and Mick Healy), went to gaol.
Ted Englart often said their incarceration wasn't any easier by reason of the fact that they were in "boob" through defying anti-worker laws enacted by a Labor Government.
On the morning of 17 March , a group of about 200 trade unionists began a street march from the Trades Hall building down Edward Street towards the centre of Brisbane.
They were protesting the Industrial Law Amendment Act introduced by Queensland's Labor government a week before. Reacting to the strike by railway workers which had commenced in early February, the Hanlon government invoked State of Emergency legislation on 27 February. It now sought even greater powers to combat what it labelled civil unrest by militant communist-led unions. This additional legislation prevented picketing, marching and demonstrations, and extended police powers to the arrest without warrant of strikers and those who encouraged their activities.
