NO SEAMEN’S STRIKE IN BRITAIN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2950, 17 October 1925, Page 2

NO SEAMEN’S STRIKE IN BRITAIN.

PLAIN STATEMENT OF FACTS.

BY MR, J. HAVELOCK WILSON.

A plain statement of the facts of the situation was given to the London representative of The Journal of Comimerce on August 20th 1925, by Mr. J. Havelock Vtlson, President of the National Sailor’s and Firemen’s Union, who said: — “As regards seamen’s wages, in May of last year we had a conversation with owners at the Maritime Board. Indications were then forthcoming that the shipping trade was improving, and if it continued to improve we should be justified in asking owners for an advance in wages.

Many of the owners protested at the time that it was not opportune to grant an advance. But as a compromise it was agreed to advance the wages by 10s, and three months later by a further 10/- per month for seamen. This was accepted without any fuss or bother, but distinctly on the understanding that if the trade should go back we, on our part, would again give further consideration to the wages question.

After October of last year, the prospects for a month or six weeks looked fairly good, but towards the end of the year the labour position became somewhat acute and there was a good deal of unrest as a result of this. Instead of trade improving it began rapidly to decline. Unemployment increased, the mining industry became bad, and the railway situation grew worse. This, of course, had a big effect on shipping. It \fas difficult to obtain coal cargoes outward at remunerative freights. Later on it became as difficult to get homeward cargoes at remunerative freights. Now this being the situation, and keeping in mind the promise of the owners, a meeting of the Maritime Board was held in July, and the owners, of course, claim that as the improvement in trade had not come about as they anticipated, they asked us whether we would honour our promise of last year. This we did. Now before any action was taken in the matter, a conference was held of delegates representing all the ports of the United Kingdom. There were some 250 delegates present. They considered the matter very carefully. No one could dispute the fact that the shipping trade was in a very bad fetate, because there is no trade subject to more foreign competition than shipping. The seamen feel this more , than anyone else, because if foreign ships can be operated, say on an average of 25 per cent, less in costs than British ships, that means (hat British ships must lay up. This is just what happened, and while the British ships were being tied up, foreign ships were coming into our ports and taking the cargoes, that without any question would otherwise have been earned by British ships. This made little or no difference to the men on dock work, because if British ships were not carrying (he cargoes, the foreign ships were, and no one who had any knowledge of the matter, and will take the trouble to go to any of the loading ports, will find that for one British ship obtaining cargo, there are two foreign ships doing the same. Thus (here is employment for seamen. The compromise with the shipowner was to take off the £1 that had been granted last year. ' This was agreed to. Following upon this the report of the whole matter was placed before the Executive Council of the Union, and elected body, the majority composing this council being ordinary lay members of the union. The council is elected annually bv ballot of the whole members.

Following upon the council meeting came the annual general meeting. n much larger body with a much larger representation of ordinary lay members. The report of the conference, the report of the negotiations, and the report of the Executive Council were submitted to the meeting, and if was unanimously declared by resolution that the best interest oL“ the seamen had been served bv what was done.

And yef we have the Communist and other busy bodies, who have no connection with us in any shape or form, telling the seamen that they were not consulted about the reduction of wages. This is an absolute falsehood. Some of them now declare we took no ballot of the members. We are not called upon to do anything of the kind. The only lime we require to take a ballot is when we declare that the men shall come out on strike, then the members have a right to sav by ballot whether they are in favour of such course being adopted, and there must he a two-third majority before any strike can be declared. Now, since the revised rate was agreed to, over 40,000 men have been re-engaged, as their agreements terminated. If 40,000 seamen accepted the bargain made, what right have we to make any trouble. I emphatically declare in spite of the efforts of the “Reds,” and others in sympathy with them, there is no strike of seamen, nor is there likely to be one.”