SHIPPING STRIKE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10287, 23 May 1919, Page 5

SHIPPING STRIKE

CREWS IN SYDNEY LEAVING

OWNERS ASK FOR SECRET

BALLOT,

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright SYDNEY, May 22.

The crews of six including one oversea ship, .hfiye, tgiyott.twentyfour hours’ notice of their intention to leave the vessels. --■ " T The waterside workers'have' hot yet discussed the position, hut resent the action of the 'seamen in ‘ precipitating the trouble.

The coastal steamship owners are requesting the Minister for Labour, un-, der the Arbitration Act, to take a compulsory secret ballot of seamen, to ascertain whether the' majority favour a strike, as they ’ believe the men will vote overwhelmingly against it.- ■• DEADLOCK OVER COMPULSORY BALLOT. MORE CREWS GIVE NOTICE. ‘ By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright . SYDNEY; May 22. A deadlock has arisen over the compulsory ballot. A special .meeting of the Seamen’s Union considered the matter, and decided that as the strike existed in more'than one State it was now a Federal matter, and tho Now ■ South Wales section .could .not, therefore, be compelled to take a ballot. Scrutineers were. appointed .by. .the Department of Industries to act for the seamen, wjio refused to act. The Karori arid Atua have arrived from. New Zealand. The crow of the former gave hours’ notice. The KannitVlbTew'a'lso_ gave'no'tice, expiring to-mcftTow'’; Kiit'it is hoped to get her away before' thcTnotice expires. The Manuka was due to have sailed this afternoon, but was delayed, partly owing to heavy rain, and also to a number of her crew giving, notice. It. is hoped to get her away early in the morning. MATTERS TEMPORARILY QUIET. COMPULSORY CONFERENCE CALLED. ... -„(Rceived May 22, 9,55 -p.'rh.) ' • SYDNEY, May 22. Matters in connection with the shipping trouble are quiet. The chief development is that the State Government, at the request of the steamship owneify' lias J ofdefod J ’a__cpmpulsory ballot of ihemherY of’'the"Sonmen’s Union, under the powers' conferred by the Arbitration Act," lo'’as-’ certain if a majority is in favour of ai strike. -■• ••• ...-Am ■ Representatives , of- -thor-shipowners ■ and seamen received"s»nimtmsesrtt)-Tlay’ to attend a comp u 1 sor y- - • con for cnco * called by the Federal Arbitration Court, to he held at Melbourne on Monday. As coastal vessels reach their various home ports in Queensland, , New South Wales and Victoria, their crews leave. Many vessels are already tied up. unjiqijj stated that so far as the .Unibnsteamers are concerned only . individual ttembers -df the-crews left the ships in Sydney, which is not the home port of all of them. It is also stated that it is—not-’expected there will be any trouble regarding New Zealand steamers. OONFLICTSfON MELBOURNE WBPARVES. ■ BETWEEN UNIONISTS AND NONUNIONISTS. MELBOURNE, Mav. ■ 22. -.. • There have been ..several conflicts- on the wharves between-unionists and nonunionists, and several of the latter were injured. After much disorder, the unionists drove tho non-unionists from the north wharf, causing a stoppage of work on two steamers; ■ Returned soldicr-uimoTrfits 'dett'dca -to' 1 discontinue working-'dA’ thd" ’ Tvhbrves' with non-unionists. •*'— ’ y