INDUSTRIAL STRIFE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 309, 23 September 1908, Page 7

INDUSTRIAL STRIFE.

SHIPBUILDING. FURNESS YARDS MAY CLOSE DOWN. A CONFERENCE. (EI TELEGRAPH—rRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTEIGUT.) London, September 21. Messrs. Furness, Withy, and 'Co. threaten to close their shipbuilding branch at Hartlepool, owing to losses due to constant labour troubles. Before a definite decision is taken, Sir Christopher Furness, head oft tho firm, proposes to submit to a conference of representatives of trades unions connected with shipbuilding,, which will bo convened for October 7, a scheme to terminate the troubles. There are rumours of the existence of sectional disputes among the employees. NORTH-EAST ENGINEERS. SETTLEMENT AFTER SEVEN MONTHS' FIGHT. . (Reo. September 22, 9.15 p.m.) London, September 22. After a seven months' struggle with the employers,' during which the loss of wages amounted to half-a-million sterling and the strike pay distributed to £240,000, the North-east Coast engineers, at tbeir latest ballot, have accepted provisional terms of settlement. COTTON TROUBLE. SPINNERS AND CARDROOMERS. ; STRIKE PAY. (Rec. September 22, 10.20 p m.) .. London, September 22. While tho trade unionists of Lancashire' would welcome the intervention of the Board of Trade in connection with the'lockout in iihc cotton industry, nnst of the big spinning concerns are glad of the opportunity of closing their mills for a time in order to reduce stocks. The relations of the spinuers aud tho cardroom workers are strained, owing to the readiness of the spinners to yield t" the employers' proposal to reduce wages by 5 per cent., which the cardroom workers resist. If the General' .Federation of Trade Unions, which is already furnishing five- 4 eighths of tho strike pay for the workers in the card and blowing, rooms, agrees to help the spinners also, tho prospect of a protracted strike is alarming. Sir Christopher Furness, speaking at West Hartlepool on August 27, said that, owing to labour troubles, orders for seven ships had been lost by his firm, as the result of his inability to guarantee delivery by a certain date.