SEAMEN STILL OUT

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3191, 15 September 1917, Page 7

SEAMEN STILL OUT

A QUAINT RESOLUTION "STATEMENT BY SHIPOWNERS The- seamen's strike is still on.. -Yes-terd.-iy both the Seamen's Union and the ■Wellington branch of the Shipowner* Federation held meetings, the outcome of which was a statement from each. In. the. case of the Seamen's IJmon._ a resolution that will, be'read with interest. > if not with the fullest comprehension. ■ was passed, and the shipowners submitted a review of the whole trouble. No Legal Status. ■■The following is the resolution passed ■ bvthe union at its meeting yesterday:■'!That the Federated Seamen s Union ■ cannot agree to the proposal of the shipowners for a .Tuclire of the Supreme Court ' to preside over the proposed-special tribunal to determine the .number of drcktiands in a watch at sen. The shipowners havinc refused our suggestion for the Conciliation .Commissioner lo preside over such tribunal wo now respectfully 'decline to further entertain any tribunal to settle ewh an important nnd gravn question. ' Further, wo-arc now compelled to intimate that we decline in • future to negotiate with Hip Shipowners' Federation on matters affecting members /of the union, on iho grounds:— ', 1. That the Shipowners' Federation is hot a legally recognised", ixidy, and- . possesses no lega] status. ■ '. 2. It iB. not a legal party to our in- , dustrial agreement with steamship owners. . . ' 3. It is largely." con-troll-'I by the . J\*ew Zealand Employers' IVdor.ition. another body of men possessing no . ■... legal sfatus. ■ ' : . . i. Its membership incorporates persone nnd firms employing no members of the union, and who are not parties to ,«ur agreement, nnd in. most cases are not bound by the shippine; laws as-affecting master ' and nutl nan>ly:-AV: H. Brown. Auck- . land; Bradney and Binns, Auckland; Cleveland Steamship Company, Auckland; Commonwealth and Dominion Line, Auckland; Devonnort JVrrv Company, Auckland: Eastbourne. Borough Council, Wellington>.!).• Goldie, . Auckland; B. Gouk, Auckland; J. Garrard, Christchurcli; -W. H. Folpate, Auckland; Huddart ■ Parker Line, Wellington; Leonard and Ding- ■ ley, Auckland; Nearing and Co..' Ltd., Auckland; N.K. Portland Cement Company, Auckland; N. 7 (. • Shinning Company. Christclmreli i R. S. Reynolds. Auckland: G. Smith, ftisborne; Shnw. Savill and Albion Company, Wellington; Takapnna Tr.ini and Perry Ho., Auckland; ' 'Winstone. Ltd.. Auckland; W. Kinross "White, Napier. Tn all • questions in-future : we will treat only with persons and firms employing members-of the union; and who am parties to the legal agreement filed .' in the Industrial' Court." This" resolution was afterwards placed before members of the Shipowners' Federation and the Ministers.' During the ■afternoon.' tho union's representativesagain met the Ministers in conference. • What is meant by Clause 4 is not very clear, for the agreement. made with the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand, to take effect from March 9, 1917, and "continue in force eo long as the British Empire remains in a. state of war with Germany and Austria, or either of them, and for twelve months after the ' declaration of peace," has among its signatories the "N.Z.. Shipowners' Federa- ' tion (Wellington branch. J. M. Beck, chairman)." Mr. Deck has presided at the meetings of tho branch held since the inception of the trouble caused by the seamen's breach, and is "a legally recog. nise'd body"—recognised by the Seamen's Union itself. Position Traversed by Shipowners. The following statement was made yesterday afternoon by the - Wellington Branch of the New Zealand Shipowners' -..-Federation:— .-...■"■ .- ■ , .."Prior to the.'ag-reenient at present in ...force the system followed at 6ea in small boats was two men in..watches of four -' hours on and four hours off, constituting twelve hours' work per man per day. The demand of the Seamen's Union leading up to the making of the recent agreement was for an eight hours' day at sea in all vessels. This, the shipowners contended, could not "he worked on vessels . . carrying four eailors on deck, as each man would have to work four hours overtime per day, and this was contrary to the eight hours day. "At the conferences "before the completion of the now agreement, over which ■conferences the Minister of Marine preI sided, to get over this difficulty it .was agreed that watches of one, two, or three men could be worked. Confirmation of tho understanding. by the union of this arrangement is clearly evidenced hy the ■ fact that a circular,- dated June 18 last, was issued by the head office of the Seemen's Union, under, the handt of its secretary (Mr. Young), to all it& members, containing the following clause:— 'That tho union cannot object to two", three, or more watches with deck hand 3 ■being worked at sea; neither can it.ob- '■■ jeefc to one, two, threes or more men. in n watch.' The membcis of the union are ■ instructed, by the executive, in the same circular,'to observe this direction. The system of one man in a watch has been in operation since June 1 last, and tbis. system, as far as the Rctiial number of men on watch is concerned, is Teally not different.to what occurred in the two-watch eystom, inasmuch'as under the old system it was the custom for tho second man in the watoh not to remain on, deck until his turn at the wheel had to ■ be taken/ . "As regards the look-out- on small boats, it is.impracticable to keep a look-, ■out forward except in the calmest of •weather. For the Inst' fifty years the look-out has been always kept, as now, by the officer on the bridge. "The uresent trouble is merely the outcome of the 'shipowners nnd Seamen's Union not being nble to agree' upon the /interpretations of certain clauses in the .new agreement, of-which tho number of i men to be employed in a watch is not one. When the shipowners desired to refer the matter in dispute to the Arbitration Court for a definite interpretation, the seamen's executive declined to do so, and took the present step with the view of forcing the. employers to agree to tho union's interpretation of those clauses. As the Seamen's TJnion, despite its circular, is now raising tho question of the necessity for two eailors in addition to the officer on the watch as an excuse for the present -action, (he shipowners agreed to a suggestion that tho Primo Minister made at a conference of both parties that a consisting of a Judge of tho Supremo Court, with two nautical a6sessors, one to bo appointed by eaoh side, should decide this i question, the men in the meantime to resume running the boats cither with one man in a wntch—as they hayo been doing since June 1 and us is being done "at present in nil the small boats in the Dominion except those sailing out of Wellington—or to revert' back to tho eye- . tern of working by watch and watch and its payment as in force, prior to June 1 last. The Commission suggested by tho Prime Minister is as near as possible the equivalent of thn English Court of Admiralty; Tho seamen's executive has, however, 'declined to agree to this, and has also declined to have any further negotiations with Ihn New Zealand Ship-' owners' 'Federation." .Watching the Trouble. The seamen's hold-up is held to bo a strike within the meaning of the War Regulations Act, and from that point of ■view is being closely watched by tho Labour Department. Huia Leaves Port. The Wanganiii Steamship Company's steamer Huia. which was to have railed for Wanganiii mid New Plymouth on Thursday night, but was prevented from doing so owing to her articles, having been stolon,' got away yesterday shortly after middny. New articles were taken out, and the extra men for the watches were signed on. . . NEGOTIATIONS FAIL STATEMENT'BY PKIMK JIINISTE-W. . "Negotiations. to bring about a. ?ottlcinont of the difficulty rega-rling shipping ' ia Wellbgton Harbour have failed, »•

said the Prime Minister yesterday afternoon, in reply to a ((lieetion by Mr. Flotcher concerning the holding up of toe mosquito fleet. Several conferences, he said, had been held between the 'Ministers of Finance und Marine and himself and the pat-ties to the dispute. They had got bo fur as to bring the parties to the dispute to this point: thnt they were willing to Bubmit the questions in diepw.to to a tribunal. Tho question then arose what kind of tribun.il should bo constituted. The owners wanted n Judge of the Supremo Court; the union objected to this, but were in favour of oiie of (he Conciliation Commissioners, nnd Ihere the matter stem!. Neither party would give wny. TROUBLE AT NAPIER RICHARDSON AND CO.'S BOATS-1 AID UP. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Napier, September 14. Tho seamen's strike has spread to Napier, and Messrs. Richardson und Co/fe hoats, Kirifopo. Kuril, nnd Echo are laid up at. Port Ahtiriri. The question in dispute is (ho same as in Wellington-!ho alleged necessity of two men in a watch.