AGREEMENT NEARLY REACHED.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19177, 7 December 1927, Page 11

AGREEMENT NEARLY REACHED.

MELBOURNE, December 6,

Following tho proceedings at the Arbitration Court, a conference between the Management Committee of the Watersiders' Federation and the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades' Unions was held, and it was at one stage practically agreed that the strike should be declared off, but then a hitch occurred. Although it tvaß claimed that, unofficially, overtures had been made to representatives of the shipowners and that an agreement on practically all points had been reached, the secretary of the Watersiders' Federation stated that the Management Cbmiilittee had expected to receive a message indicating the intention of the Arbitration Court, but as no information was received the meeting adjourned until to-day. Other members of the committee expressed the view that the eiitire onus of making arrangements for a conference between the parties to the dispute should not be left to the Watersiders' Federation to determine, and claimed that the shipowners should have taken the initiative in the direction of convening a conference, failing action being taken by the Court authorities, but they declined to state what steps the Federation proposed to take regarding the assurance required by Judge Beeby for observing the award. Trades Hall officials, who took _ a leading part in the negotiations during the day, said that they strongly urged that tho Federation should pass the Resolution required by Judge Beeby, and the Federal Management Committee had agreed to accede to the request. They also asserted that, in addition to suspending the overtime strike, tho committee had consented to instruct the branches of the Federation to adhere strictly to the awards on condition that a conference with the shipowners was arranged. Efforts will be renewed to-day in an endeavour to effect an immediate settlement of the dispute.

GRAVE OUTLOOK.

INDUSTRIAL COLLAPSE

THREATENS.

SYDNEY, December 0,

Already carriers, warehousemen, storemen, collieries, and many big emporiums which are awaiting consignments of seasonable goods, are seriously affected by the strike, and its continuance will result in widespread unemployment and loss to industry that is as yet incalculable. The virtual cessation of oversea and inter-State transport is preventing manufacturers from obtaining badly required raw materials and making it impossible to fulfil some orders.

Employors' organisations are viowing the continuance of the dispute with alarm, and members arc considering the inauguration of means to prevent the collapse of industry. Already the position is acute and retrenchment has commenced. Within a few days a number of firms will be compelled to work half-time or close altogether Ketail firms are also finding trade slack, with the result that loss of wages, if the strike continues, is certain. Extra hands will not be employed as is customary. If it lasts a fortnight it will mean appalling disaster and the collapse of industry and commerce, following which retail business everywhere will be faced by a crisis. Already 12,000 miners have been made, idle. The loss of wages as a result totals £32,500 a fortnight.