EMPLOYERS STAND FIRM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1902, 10 November 1913, Page 8

EMPLOYERS STAND FIRM.

STRIKERS 1 SUGGESTIONS REJECTED. ARBITRATION ACT UPHELD. Affairs in connection with the striko moved rapidly to a climax on Saturday, and the issue between the contending parties is now clear-cut. Such attempts as wore made to reopen negotiations broke' down finally in faco of a firm declaration by tho Employers' Strike Committee that they Would have) no dealings with tbo Federation of Lsljour, and would stand by tho now union of wharf labourers which has been formed and registered under the Arbitration Act, This, it is stated, has been tho unshaken attitude of the employers ever since they withdrew the terms of settlement which were offered to the strikers and rejected by them. Attempts which hay© been made during the past week to establish negotiations on any other basis than that of the full • recognition of the Arbitration Union have only served to complicate tbe position, and to obscure the triie facts of tho case.

As' was reported in The Dominion on Saturday ( members of the Strikers' Committee interviewed t-he Prime Minister on Friday evening, and asked hini to arrange a conference with the employers. The basis of settlement put forward by tho strikers for consideration at the proposed conference was as under:—

1. That tbo men be. given the right to enter into an agreement with tbe employers. 2, ,'fho said agreement to be enforcerable, under the Trades Union Act, in tbe Magistrate's Court; the penalty (if any) to be at the discretion- of the Magistrate, as in the ease of any civil action.

3. That the union be protected by an amendment- to the 1.0. and A. Act to the effect that where a union is registered under tho Trades "Union Act it shall not bo permissible for a union in the same industry and in tho same district or locality to be registered trader the 1.0. and A. Act, or the Trades Union Act. The Citizens' Defence Committee, having considered these proposals at a meeting hold 011 Saturday morning, adopted the following resolution:— "That tlie proposals submitted by the Prime Minister for the consideration of the Citizens' Defence Committee be not entertained, and that as a now union has now been formed, and which has been registered tinder tho Arbitration Act, no fmther negotiations can be entered upon with any other organisation." Mr, W. (secretary of the Employers' and Mr. I®. Hally (Conciliation Commissioner) both interviewed tho Prime Minister nt Parliament Buildings early on Saturday'afternoon, and soon afterwards it transpired that the strikers' proposals had ken definitely turned down, and that all negotiations wcto "off." The Conciliation Commissioner, when lie was approached .yesterday, said that he' recognised that it would 'be useless '\to attempt to promote any further i negotiations between, tho employers and tho Federation of Labour. It was pos- [ sililo. lie added, that something might, lie done, ns between the wntorsiders on 1 strike and their employers without | reference to tho Federation of Labour, t njid nny further action taken by him wciald lio.ia tte/iiiwtioii. 1