INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 31, 31 January 1912, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

PORTUGUESE FARM LABOURERS

GO ON' STRIKE

(By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.* Lisbon, January ,29. A farm labourers’ strike led to a sympathetic strike of all trades in the Evora district and a general strike in -Lisbon. When the strike began, a band of anarchists took possession of the trades unionist headquarters in Lisbon incited strikers to assassination and pillage. The troops thereupon surrounded the headquarters, forbidding entry. The newspapers are not appearing, and shops and theatres are closed. The Government has taken measures to prevent a broad famine. Soldiery are protecting gas and electricity plants. There were two bomb explosions. Tho strikers wrecked the tram cars. .Shipping on the Tagus is paralysed.

GENERAL STRIKE AT BRISBANE

Brisbane, January 30. A general strike started _at six o’clock to-night. Negotiations . proceeded throughout the day, and tho Minister of Works had frequent interviews with the officials of the Tramway Company and tho Australian Labour Federation up to the last moment. Faint hopes of a’ settlement were eventually dashed when the call came.

The whole of the unions;represented at the Sunday conference respondnocossary for carrying on public institutions remain in, hut all others are out.

It is'estimated that altogether over fourteen thousand men obeyed the call. \ :

The city is simmering Avith suppressed excitement. Thousands of -.trikers are parading the streets and ’.trong detachments of mounted and hot police are patrolling. Everything : s quiet. Amongst- the strikers are all the compositors of the, Daily Mail noAysoapors and over a hundred from the Jovernment Printing Office.. Wharf labourers deserted t}io ships as they stood and a number gro held ap, and only partially unloaded. The Carrying Company, anticipating i continuation of the trouble, suspended operations and Avill send their horses to grass.

All day long the stores .were rushed by customers laying in stores, and there Avas a tremendous demand for ill classes of goods. : (Received 31, 9.40 a.m.) , V Brisbane, January 31.

The trams stopped ••‘running early last night and were not run to-day. Shortly before -six iaiV nighir.afl' prder was issued for the closing of hotels, which are not open to-day. Everything is being done to maintain law and order. Arrangements have boon •made for the bread and milk supplies to go on uninterruptedly, though there Avill bo no delivery of bread, the carters participating in the strike. There are indications that the trouble may spread to, the raihvays. meeting of the Employees’ Association Avas held late last night, five hundred attending. The Association includes ill grades of railway men and a number of signalmen. (Received 31, 9.20 a.m.) 7 Brisbane, January 31. The gas and electric supplies have ao far not been interfered, Avith. The companys anticipate no trouble. A nixmber of vessels left partially loaded. In some cases the men’s notices do ■lot expire till eight this morning. Many of the strikers are Avearing red ribbons. A number of meetings wore held during the day. The big gathering last night Avas addressed by Mr Coyne, member of the Assembly and president of, the Australian Labour Federation, and other leaders. Mr Coyne declared that ho intended to fight to a finish. <■ He appealed to strikers to preserve the strictest discipline, to keop 'sober, and to preserve order. This Avas going to be a big business. Those who could not see its magjnitude noAV Avould see it In a Aveek or two. He announced,that funds Avere already coming in freely. To-day ho cabled a despatch all over the civilised Avorld on behalf of the strikers. A monster demonstration Avas arranged to-day. The Police Department is receiving hundreds of applications from men willing to serve as special constables.

The Premier ivnd tho Commissioner if Railways have Ihurriedly returned from Sydney, where they were visiting. The Ministers worked hard in the interests of a settlement, leaving no stone unturned to secure peace and rood order. Tho police report that the men’s behaviour so far is excellent.

' (Received 31, 9 .55 a.m.) Brisbane, January 31. . All entertainments have been closed excepting one. .

The strikers’ executive are extremely busy, sitting continuously. It is reported that some employees are strongly opposed to general strike owing to defections being likely.

To-day will disclose tho full effect of the call out and tho extent to which the ukase will ho obeyed. The newspapers are in a serious position, compositors lhaving largely thrown in their lot with tho strikers. Householders everywhere are busy laying in stocks against a threatened seige. It is reported that during yesterday one firm sold over three hundred pounds’ worth of revolvers.

lit is stated that the executive of the Railwiayraen’s Association refused to endorse a resolution in favour of i striko, but the men intend to leave tlheir work to-day in spite of the executive.

BRITISH COAL MINERS. (Received, 31 8.25 a.m.) London, January 30. A joint conference of owners and miners of British coal fields will be held on February 7th to discuss the minimum wage.

The Scottish miners have tendered six months’ notice of the termination of the existing agreement, hut the owners contend that the insistence upon a minimum wage in itself is a breach of agreement. A conciliation board will discuss the point on February 9th. (

THAMES IRONWORKERS,

(Received 31, 8.40 a.m.) London, January 30

The trades unions strongly disapprove of the decision of the Thames Ironworks employees to sacrifice half their November advance .in wages in order to enable the company to secure contracts for two cruisers. The executive of the carpenters and joinirs’, engineers’, boiler makers’ and shipwrights’ tracles unions intimated that their members working at the Thames Ironworks would not be allowed to accept wages below the rates prescribed for the London district.

GLASGOW DOCKERS

(Received 31, 8.40 a.m.) London, January 30,

Seven thousand dockers aro striking at Glasgow. They demand that non-unionists he discharged if unionists are available to replace them, and also that foremen must be members of the union. >

THE SYDNEY CONFERENCE

(Received 31, 10.55 a.in.) Sydney, January 31

Statements were made at the Labour Conference that the State Government was paying engineers on one of its boats lower wages than the recognised union rates. This led to strong protests and a'resolution was carried that when the Government enters into competition with private enterprise in shipping it should pay the ruling rate. The conference adopted planks of its‘fighting platform in t|ie following order: —Constitutional reform, including abolition of the Legislative Council and substituting therefor the initiative and 'referendum ; : abolition of the office of State Governor; effective land settlement, embracing the cessation of the sale of Crqwn , lands; State bank and taxation of bind values ; nationalisation of health; providing free medical and nursing services ; State maintenance of hospitals ; the supervision of dangerous and unhealthy . occupations; equitable industrial laws with regulation of the hours of labour; minimum wage. Plank five favours free 'secondary, - technical and University education and free school material; plank six the establishment of State ironworks. WELLINGTON TRAMWAYS. Wellington, January 30; The executive of the Tramway Employees’ Union is pursuing a policy of secrecy. This morning a meeting of the executive took place. -There l were present representatives of nearly all the unions belonging to the Trades and Labour Council, including Mr W. F. Young, president of the Trades and Labour. Council, and secretary of the Seamen’s Union, Mr M. J. Reardon,, secretary of the General Labourers’ Union, Mr E. J. Carey, secretary of Che Cooks and. Waiters’ Union, Mr. W. C. Noot, Secretary of the Electrical Workers’ Union, Mr. D. Blackie, secretary of the Drivers’ Union and other union secretaries. The position was explained to the visitors by Mr Sutherland, secretary of the Tramways’ Union, and then the party adjourned to the*club room of the men it the .car sheds. The meeting oomnonced at 11 o’clock, and continued till nearly 1 o’clock. The representatives of other unions were received with/ cheers by the tramway mon present, the room being crowded. Speeches were deliverxl by the Labour leaders present, who assured the tramway men of the supoort of the various workers represented. The remarks of various speakers vere received with cheers and apolause, especially the exhortation of me secretary, who urged the tramway men to stand firm, to their principles md fight their cause to a finish. The situation was discussed generally, and the result was an agreement to strike.

What particular policy the executive proposes to adopt, and when the strike will take place, none of the tramway men present would divulge. A pledge of secrecy has been given by the tramway men. It is quite possible that work will cease at a moment’s notice.

The City Council, at time of writing, has not yet received any notice from the union of the men’s intention to leave work.

The tramway men, according to statements of several to-day, are very loth to strike, but on principle they feel that there is nothing for them to do but to cease work unless Inspector Fuller resigns. The men employed in the power houses and car sheds. are all to come out in sympathy with the tramway non, and the unions belonging to the Federation".of Labour, represented by Mr P. Hickej', are determined to support the tramway people in every possible way. It is understood that the signing of the notice to bo sent to the City Council of the intention of the union to cease work lias been completed. The men had a fourth meeting tonight, at which addresses were delivered by the representatives of both of labour. It is understood that cars will cease •mining from 2 to 4 p.m. to-morrow, .n order to get a full meeting of the

men and that the meeting will decide whether a strike shall take place, and, if so, when.

STRIKE AT TEKOMA RAILWAY WORKS. Taiimarunui, January 30. About fifteen men employed on the Tokoma railway works near Taumarunui have ceased work, owing to dissatisfaction with their earnings. They wore expecting l to get 9s a day, but are not getting satisfactory v assurance as to when it ivould be given them, so they put down their tools. About 30 men are still working.