LABOUR DISPUTES.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1267, 24 October 1911, Page 5

LABOUR DISPUTES.

SYDNEY WATERSIDE STRIKEA RESULT/LESS CONFERENCE, Bj Telegraph—Press Association-OoDvrlEht (Rcc. October 23, 1 a.m). Melbourne, October 23. The compulsory conference between tho shipowners and the Sydney wharf labourers, under Mr. Justice liiggins, of tho Arbitration Court, mot to-duy lor nn hour and n half. At its conclusion the Rcgistrar reported that no result had been reached, and the conference had been adjourned until to-morrow, (Rcc. October 23, 9.20 p.m.) Sydney, October 23. The steamer Cycle has arrived from Port Pirio with a cargo of ore for transhipment. The recognised rates for ore are sixpence a ton, but tho wharf labourers declined to handle the cargo. The union officials express astonishment at this action. In other directions the striko is unaltered. The men are continuing to handle the perishables, and therefore tho dairy produce markets aro unaffected. Tho produce trade from Melbourne nnd Tasmania, however, is at a standstill, and the strike is affecting the potato and chaff markets. SHIPOWNERS' DEPUTATION. (Eec. October 24, 1 a.m.) Sydney, October 23. A deputation of merchants and coastal steam ship owners awaited on the State Premier, Mr. Jl'Gowcn, and Mr. Carmichacl, Minister lor Labour, urging that they should exercise their personal influence in order to get a settlement of the strike. A similar deputation , had waited on Mr. Carmichacl on Saturday, and promised to produco certain information. Mr. Carmichacl to-day expressed his surprise that tho deputationists should be in euch a hurry to bring the matter beiore the Premier. He thought that before they tried to impress tho urgency of their case they might fulfil their promise to produco the information. Ho declared that the members of the deputation wished to advertise themselves as friendly to tho farmers. Mr. M'Gowen said that if it was at all possible to arrange a conference between the parties ho would do so, VESSELS SAIL WITHOUT CARGO. Sydney, October 23. All tho inter-State vessels sailed on Saturday without Sydney cargo. Melbourne, October 23. The Council of the Waterside Workers' Federation met to consider the action of tho Sydney wharf labourers. Mr. Hughes, Federal Attorney-General, who presided, said after the meeting that certain action had been decided upon. Ho thought the dispute capable of settlement. WORKERS' FEDERATIONS. (Rec. October 23, 11.35 p.m.) . Sydney, October 23. Tho process of federating tho workers in various industries in tho Commonwealth is proceeding rapid)}'. Tho latest movements are amongst the fire brigade men, tho xopo workers, tho professional musicians, and clerks. HOBART STRIKE ENDS. Hobart, October 23. The butchers' strike, which has lasted a month, has collapsed. MOUNT LTELL STRIKE. (Rcc. October 23, 1 a.m.) Hobart, October 23. Mr. Ogden, a Labour member of tho Assembly, has toured tho Mount Lyell strike district, and reports that there aro groat hopes of an early settlement. It is inferred that tho men are now willing to abandon their attitude regarding tho reinstatement of tho dismissed man, White. THE LITHGOW RIOTERS. Sydney, October 23. Judge Scholes has extended to November 6 tho time for tho payment of the fines imposed on a large number of the Lithgow strikers on September 19. CRUX OF THE RAILWAY DISPUTE. RECOGNITION OF THE UNIONS. Ono of the principal matters in disputo between tho British railwaymen and the companies has been the recognition of tho men's unions. Under tho 1907 railway conciliation scheme the union official has no standing whatever. Ho is ruled out at every turn. Tho initial step is that tho men in a particular grade or railway service who desire improved conditions of labour must petition the officor in charge of their department. It is only whcai this petition fails that the conciliation machinery comes into force. After two months have elapsed tho men may demand a meeting of the sectional board covering their grade. !i it fails to offroe there is an appeal to the central board, covering the whole of tho sen-ants of a company. Failure hero is followed by an appeal to an arbitrator, and it is at this stage that tho trade union official may have a look in. There is nothing to prevent tho men electing a union official to argue- Uieir case before the arbitrator, and as a matter of fact union officials are invariably selected by the men for this purpose—a significant fact. It is plain, however, that the companies do not take very kindly to the intervention of trade union officials. For instance, some timo ago a dispute aroso between tho Great Northern Railway and its servants over the interpretation of Lord MacDonneli's award. Mr. Walter Hudson, H.P., who had represented tho men before tho arbitrator, was refused permission to discuss tho disputed points on the ground that as the arbitration proceedings woro now ovor tho matter teased to be any business of his. According to yesterday's c*ble message, tho Strike Commission has recommended that the union secretaries bo allowed to act as the men's advocates beforo the boards, but has limited further recognition of the union officials by adding: "Tho commission, however, considers that owing to their great responsibilities Hit companies cannot bo expected to permit intervention between them and the men on questions of disciplio and management." In tho course of a recent nrticlo the "Manchester Guardian" stated that statistics showed that there woro 262 boards or comnrittf.es in existence in the United Kingdom for conciliation and arbitration purjwpj. Almost nil the important industries wcro represented, nnd, though tho schemes varied a good deal in character, they possorßcd <ino common feature. With the exception of those in tho iron trade and the railways, the boards were based upon tho principle of collective bargaining, and depended for their successful working to a largo extent upon tho recognition of the men's unions. At every stage tho union official is recognised, and there can be no negotiations for revised working conditions in which tho unions are not consulted. An important particular in which the railwaymen's leaders contend that the existing scheme weakens the influence of tho unions may be notal. continues the "Guardian." tn almost every other instance tho position which tho unions occupy as mediums of negotiation strengthened their prestigo amongst tho workpeople. A totally different effect is produced on the railwaymen by the conciliation boards. Not only are they denied recognition of tho union, with all I that this implies in tho way of lowered prestige, but Hie working of the scheme makes for sectionalism rather than unity amongst the men. There is no attempt to increase the sense of cohesion in tho service. Each Rrndo lias its own narticulfM , board, .and one grade ads inI.Ji of -~.n.-« ■ '>"•— '- -'■—

lately no uniformity in the pcyiods for which agreements! arc signed. _ The conditions under which one section works may expire at tho end of six months, those of another in twelve months, ami tluwn of a third in Ihrco years' time, lho result of this is that at no timo ran tho wholo force of organised labour bo thrown against tlic companies without laying lar-'o mimhers of men open to tho charge of violating agreements. It is asserted that this ulwiMico of uniformity is part of a subtle plan on the part of tho companies to weaken the men's position by splitting the railway servants up into a number of independent groups.