The Shipping Trouble.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1923, Page 1

The Shipping Trouble.

DEPUTATION TO MINISTERS.

REMOVAL OF SUSPENSION OF ACT URGED. PROCEEDINGS IN CAMERA. WELLINGTON, Jan. 10 deputation, representing the New Zealand Labour Party, the Alliance of Labour and Federated Seamen’s Union waited upon the Prime Minister and the Minister of Marine and Labour to request that the suspension of section of of the Shipping and Seamen Act, which enables the employment of nonunionist labour on ships should be removed. The Seamen’s Union had been contending that travelling at sea had been rendered dangerous because of (lie fact that many of the men now manning the vessels were not qualified seamen hut the Minister had shown that full precautions had been taken by the Marine Department to ensure the safety of the lives of passengers. Section ~>7 (1) of the Shipping and Seamen Act reads:—

The Minister may, if he thinks fit and upon such conditions (if any) ahe thinks lit to impose, exempt an.v ship from an.v specified requirement contained ill or proscribed in pursuance oT the principal tci or of this Act. or dispense with the observance of any such requirement in the ease of any ship if lie is satisfied that that requirement lias been substantially complied with in the ease of that ship, or that compliance with the requirement is unnecessary in tho circumstances of the ease, and that the action taken or the provision made ;ts respects the subject matter of the requirement in the case of the ship is as effective as or more effective than actual compliance with the roqui remen t.

The deputation to the Prime Minister and .Mr Andersen was introduced by Mr Eraser. M.l’. Among those pre-s-'iij were: .Messrs T. Brimlle (president of the New Zealand Labour Party), A. !.. Moiitcith, It .M’lveen. M. J. Mach (president of the New Zealand Alliance of Labour) and W. T. Voting (general s -eretaiy of the Federated Seamen’s’ Union), members of the executive of the Alliance of Labour and the National Council of the Seamen’s Union. Thy interview with .Mr -Massey and Mr Anderson was eondtictcd in camera. Subsequently the Prime Minister announced that there was no statement to make. Tn the event of the Government rein iug to remove the suspension of the Shipping Act it is not known what the next stop the -came” will Iw. although it is suggested i|ihl the union may call the dispute'off and allow the men to get back to the ships on the best terms possible. This would mean that unionists would acquiesce in the shipowners’ determination nut to dismiss qualified non-unionist seamen, which up fn the present has been the chief stumbling block on the way of a settlement of the trouble. On the other hand the Seamen’s Union may elect to place the dispute in the hands of the Alliance of Labour, which has already publicly exnro-sod its willing-

ness to give the seamen all the support in ii-. power. The fail that the Allianro of Labour was represented on ibis morning’s deputation lends colour tn the belief that there has been negotiation between the union and the allianee already. A meeting of the cxeouiive of tho alliance may be called within a few davs. THE ALLIANCE OF LABOUR BALLOT. The Alliance of Labour is at present con(lueling a ballot on flip question of opposing the recent wages reductions. and (lie result of the waferside workers’ ballot concerning their award is understood to have been communicated to a conference of the Waterside Workers’ Federation at Auckland. Tn tho event of the sonmen’s dispute not being settled before the end of this month, the Alliance of Labour may consider the advisability of attempting to bring about a general cessation of work on the part of affiliated organisations, partly as a protest against wages reductions, and partly out of sympathy with tho .seamen and watersiders. It is not vet disclosed how tho watersiders have voted, but it is thought that if they have balloted against accepting their own award the result may be kept secret until the Alliance of Labour ballot is counted after .1 armary 10. The seamen in all probability would cast their votes i ll the Alliance ballot in favour of a strike, if by so doing they considered that there was a possibility of all awards reducing wages being reviewed by the authorities, and especially in view of the fact that they are tile only organisation which lias so far put a protest into practice. The whole position is somewhat complicated. for quite apart from the Alliance ballot, the seamen may prefer to go back to work now. build up a strong fighting fund, and then resume hostilities against, the shipowners when the Arbitration Court’s award expires in September. Such a course of action is understood to have been recommended. ff it is followed out, then it is likolv that the shipowners would again 'man the ships with free labour, and if ilm seamen cancelled their registration under the Arbitration Act a new union would be formed. If the waterside! s have voted in favour of accepting their own award thev may yet have to go out on strike if the majority of votes cast in the Alliance of Labour ballot is sufficient to swamp the wishes of the watersiders as an individual organisation.