TALLY CLERKS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2011, 19 March 1914, Page 8

TALLY CLERKS' DISPUTE.

STATEMENT BY Mil. V. A. KENNEDY. In viow oi' certain statements that had been madu in regard to tre Tally Cierks' dispute, Alt- *V. A. Koiurcdy,,-! manager or tllo local branch of the Union Steamship Uompitiiy,' reviewed the position yesterday, and -explained the attitude taken tip by tie sliiiioivn■crs. "A largo body tf nwai who loek to employment as tally clerks i oft thg Wellington wharves for their living aro averse to joining the union," lie said, "and they made- rep-regontatiqns accordingly to the shipowners. 'Hie latter, liowev-er, met the iinioji before the Conciliation Council on l'ebrosry 10) and as the result of the discussion -which ens-tied .upon tlio claims lodged, fiaodi'ficd proposals were made by tlt.e union, which only came into tbft hands of the employers on February Sβ, on which date, at the urgent soMcitatiga of _ the secretary of the uHwa, fo* a private conference with the. ci-npjjoyers, it was arranged to i»eot the uiiie'a at 10.30 a.m. on the foltmviwg morning. Delegates from the union snd. thr-qe representatives of the employers wet« j»ro» sent, iusd at the outset of t|vo mceUng it was explained by the latfc-r that as them liad not been time to exninino the modiiied proposals submitted by the unioii, the discussion must necessarily be of a tolitative oij-aracter, and that the result must- ho subject' to ratsfieaiipii by the .shipowners a.s a whole. This understanding was confirmed by Mr. Jfoucard, president of the Tally Clctfe , Union, at the meeting of the Coineiliation Council on Tuesday. On some of the minor paints there appeared to. bs a prospect'of an iindorstantliiig being eventttnlly arrived at, but it.was made i quite clear, as it bad been nt the meet-' His? 'of the Conciliation Council on Fob-; rnary 10, that the. claims in cpWJoeMon with' wages and preference would be- ■ ©pposed by the employers.. As the result of the Hiiprcparodness of parties at tlis lmrrictHy-i'allod conference en February 27, it'was found subsequciitlv. in conitcetion with various clauses, that I tentative agreements hail been arrived at which contradicted one auotiior. In tiift iwantimo tiro regularly employed tally elertiS again ttiado ft ■stronu, protest to tlto ompWyers aftainst the fofiii.itkiii of the union and the proposed alteration of conditions, and jit a gb«* ci'al meeting of sliipowitora thrs protest, and the vv<iee«li«ss at the pr.va-tc comfcrcvicn with the union were revtewd, with the result that a resolution Was passed instructing tlio - enwkrfers' assessors on the Conciliation Coiriicii that the siiinovnws preferred tlw whnte m-at-tcr to ho floslfc vpUk by tho ArbitratiMi ' Court, nii(3 that they wore cqnsoaiwjitl.v ', not prepared to continue. nogotmtsQHs [ with the union." "At n<! tin , !; , ," added Mr. Kennedy, "has it over been suggested t<? 'marie time' with the union in order to jSnstpoiie the- honriiiK fif tlio case till nest ' sittings of the Arbitration Court. ■■