IN AUSTRALIA.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14838, 2 December 1913, Page 8

IN AUSTRALIA.

CONFERENCE OF UNIONISTS.

THE STRIKERS' CASE

(By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) SYDNEY, December 1. Tlie great Unionist Conference on Saturday represented two hundred thousand workers.' Mr Parry was present, representing the New Zealand Federation of . Labour. Mr Starr represented the seamen of New Zealand. The Conference resumed at ten o'clock this morning. The Employers' Defence Committee at Wellington has cabled to Mr Hughes a lengthy explanation of their attitude. The Labour. Council has received an official statement from the strikors' organisation,.' in which the following clauses occur:— "The union has agreed to resume work under the old agreement and maintain the status quo, wages and conditions. 1 " "The employers demand the abolition of the union, .the abrogation of the agreement, and 1 the denial of the right of the waterside workers as a whole, to organise into one union. ".Assistance has been readily rendered by«a large section of the general public which has shown sympathy with the desire of the watersiders to maintain their, union. They won't be beaten into subjection by the hardwood batons and revolvers of special constables, who are really not the legitimate police, with whom they have no quarrel. "The committee gives an assur- . ance that if tho agreement is reinstated and they are given a clean slate, work at the port will proceed apace as if no interruption had taken place. ' "The committee'points out that the cases where employers were charged with breach of agreement number 436, whereas the employees' breaches number 136. If, then, a breach of agreement meant the abrogation thereof,; there would be not a single award in existence, to-day. "Tho committee sanctions no rioting or disorder."