U.S. SHIPPING DISPUTE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24896, 8 June 1946, Page 7

U.S. SHIPPING DISPUTE

Stop-Work Meetings On 300 Ships THREATS OF STRIKE (N-Z- Pres® Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, June 6. Nation-wide reports reveal that 8000 or 9000 American Federation of Labour unionists walked off more than 300 ships for to-day’s stop-work meetings. Work ceased for more than four hours, and meeting? in some centre? resolved to repeat the ston-work meetings to-morrow and daily until they gain their demands. The American Federation of Labour is protesting that operators are ignoring its demands for increased wages and better conditions while negotiating with the Committee pf Industrial Organisation unions on similar clpijns. It is admitted in Washington that a full-time strike of 62,000 members of the A,F L. simultaneously with that of 90,000 members of the C. 1.0., whose strike is scheduled to begin on June 15, would pose an almost insuperable problem for the Administration to fulfil its promise to keep the nation’s shipping moving by the use of servicemep. A' stop-work meeting of seamen voted to inform Mr Truman that if the Administration tried to man union ships with navy and coastguard personnel, it would be regarded as strikebreaking. A spokesman for two A.F.L. sea? men’s unions said that a nation-wide strike of 60,000 seamen seemed certain. He added that there might be a week’s delay or the strike might occur immediately. '

TRAFFIC ON GREAT LAKES

CLASHES WITH NONUNION CREWS

(Rec. 11 p.m.) OTTAWA. June «. The Great Lakes traffic reached a new low level as the seamen’s strike entered the thirteenth day. Non-union crews are steadily being morally and physically persuaded to leave the ships. One employer said that shipping movements may be halted entirely to avoid clashes between unionists and non-union crews.

DOCKERS REFUSE TO UNLOAD SHIP

CARGO OF FOOD FROM NEW ZEALAND _. LONDON, June 6. Thousands of tons of food are held up at the London docks by a lightning strike of 150 dockers who refused to umoad the Waitangi, a food ship from New Zealand. “Evening News” understands that the dispute is over the allocation of work. The Wairangi carries 6000 tons of butter and 3000 tons of meat, cheese, and wool.

LABOUR DISPUTE IN MELBOURNE

EXPLOSIVES PRODUCTION SUSPENDED (Rec. 8 p.m.) MELBOURNE, June 7. A compulsory conference called today m an attempt to settle the Nobel explosives factory dispute has failed, lhe production of explosives at the factory has now been suspended for six weeks, and supplies of explosives tor use in mines are running low. The dispute arose when employers refused a demand by the Ironworkers’ Union that Mr W. T. Lloyd should be dismissed from the factory. Lloyd Is one of the leaders in the fight by the Arms, Explosives and Munition W ?u k 4E 8 ’ H nion a B ain st amalgamation with the Communist controlled Ironworkers’ Union.