The Dock Labourers Strike

Feilding Star, Volume XI, Issue 33, 31 August 1889, Page 2

The Dock Labourers Strike

By Electric Telegraph — Copyright. (PEU UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. ) London, Au»ust 28. Burns, the Socialist leader, state* that 150,000 strikers are determined to prevent the employment of Belgian labourers to the exclusion of British .subjects The Joint Committee of the Companies and the strikers has advised the abolition of middlemen and an I increase iv wages. The Directors of the Dock Companies have agreed to concede the former, but refuse any monetary increase. Several coal carters at King's Cross Bailway Station have been sentenced to terms of imprisonment for rioting and intimidation. August 29. The Thames wharfingers have accepted the strikers terms, and it is expected that many of the men will resume work to-day.

The dock owners have held a conference, at which it was agreed to everything except the demaud for 6d an hour. The dockmen refused to accept the compromise, and Mr Burns is negotiating for a settlement. The wharfingers will upload on to the wharves from midstream and boycott the docks.

Three thousand Belgians have offered their » rvires at 4£d an hour. Mr Burns telegraphed to the Belgian labour leaders to stop coal carters from coming, and was successful in inducing them to do bo,

Seventy thousand carcases of Australian mutton have been unloaded.

The Glasgow dock labourers are demanding an advance of one half» penny per hour.

Men who do not belong to the Unions are totally without means, and frightful privation has been caused by this labour crisis. The pay men's from the strike funds average £1000 per day. There are 100,000 married men on strike, and their allowances aie limited to eighteen pennyworth of food daily for each family. The pickets get 2s per day.

Thousands of women and children besiege the food depots, where the scenes are perfectly harrowing. The Committee beg that the strike may be confined to the riverside labourers, otherwise they fear the movement will collapse from its own inherent weakness. The Liguiria is loading at Plymouth. The wharfingers threaten unless the Dock Companies virtually concede the men's demands, they will proceed to work the wharves, and unload 6hips in the river, instead of at the docks. The BtrikeTS have agreed to this course, but the company adhere to the determination arrived at yesterday, not to grant an increase of wages. The strikers have permitted the Fifeshire and Kaikoura to unload their mutton, and the market is abundantly stocked for the time being and business is flat. Prices are the same as last week. August 30. The strike committee describe the compunies' concessions as a farce, and announce that they will call labour of all grades aud descriptions out on strike on Monday unless the demands of the men are conceded in full by noon on Saturday.