CITY WORKERS AND STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1901, 8 November 1913, Page 7

CITY WORKERS AND STRIKE.

UNION DELEGATES MEET; RESOLUTIONS PASSED. A meeting of union delogates was hold at tlio Trades Hall last evening to consider matters in connection with the striko. Tho Press were not admitted, but the following official report was supplied:— . "A representative meeting of Wellington unions was hold in tho Trades Ha.ll last night. Mr. A. H. Cooper was elected to the chair. Tho United Federation of Labour Executive attended tho meeting, and Messrs. W. T. Young and P. Hiokey placed the facts of the presont- Labour crisis before the delegates. After consideration of tho facts outlined, tho following resolutions wore passed:— . "(1) That this meeting of unionists tliroughly desires to assist tho workers now involved in tho striko, and instructs tho various members represented to "down tools" when they aro asked to handle or used material handled by Federation labour..

"(2) That this meeting of union re-, presentatives assembled expresses confidence in the executive of the United Federation of Labour in the conduct of tho strike, and pledges themselves to do all in their power to reinstate the men on the waterfront, and to so bring about industrial peace. "(3) That this meeting protests against the registration of unions, under the Arbitration Act, and feels it a slur on genuine Arbitration unions to be associated with suoh. "At the cnclusion of the meeting ly hearty vote of thanks was carried to tho chairman."

A reporter was informed that tho delegates present, together with about a dozen Federation of Labour and waterside representatives, numbered about 130, and that the resolutions were carried on the voices. How Tho Meeting Was Called. Tho convening of the nieetiug of which tho official report is printed above, gave riso to a certain amount of discussion in labour circles before it was hold. The meeting was hastily summoned, not by tho District Labour Council, but by tho Federation of Labour. Telegrams were sent out to tho various unions by tho Federation officials and some of tho messages, it is stated, were not received until yesterday. Tho telegrams asked each union to send two delegates to tho meeting. Tho union were not given time to elect representatives and the gathering consisted of presidents and scretaries who acted upon their own initiative in accepting tho invitation and in their subsequent voting. Tho resolutions passed will bo submitted to tho various unions for ratification or rejection.

Information. gathered by a reporter who interviewed a number of prominent Trades Council representatives yesterday, indicates .that the Federation of Labour will not obtain such an easy command of tho unions at present outside its sway as the result. of last night's meeting might seem to suggest. Thero are prominent Labour officials connected with Arbitration unions, who make no great secret .of the fact that they detest tho Federation of Labour, its methods and all its works. To a groat extent they have been restrained so far by a fear that if thoy declared against the Federation while affairs are in their present unsettled state they might be accused of siding with tho employers against their own class. Nevertheless, they recogniso the position. One union secretary stated quite frankly yestorday that the question at. stako was -whether--.thg, Jc.dprationists or his. party■should 1 go down. He added optimistically that it was the Federation that would go down..

The Arbitrationists have already made some attempt, though somewhat feebly, to assert themselves. At the beginning of last week a number of their leading representatives suggested to Mr. Young and his confreres that they (the Arbitrationists) should be permitted to address the strikers, with a view to promoting a settlement on reasonable) terms. This offer Mr. Young decisively rejected, with the remark: "No, certainly not; tho matter is in our hands."

The Arbitrationists. themselves admit that they have done very little to defend their own position or to stem thn influence of the Federation. . At the same time it is not at all likely, thai .thoy and their unions will deliver them selves and their unions over to the Federation bound hand and foot. It is quits certain that a number of the most important unions "represented" at last night's meeting will unhesitatingly reject the general strike proposal which tho meeting affirmed. One factor to be reckoned with tit thb present time is the United Labur Party. The, Dominion executive of this organisation is meeting practically every day, and is reported to ho closely watching the developments now taking place. It is, expected that a statement of polioy will shortly bo issued based upon tho adopted platform of the party in which tho striko is recognised as justifiable only as a last resort.