AUS TR ALIA’S GRAVE PLIGHT

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 220, 6 December 1927, Page 1

AUS TR ALIA’S GRAVE PLIGHT

WATERSIDE DEADLOCK

NO SETTLEMENT YET REACHED MORE WORKERS IDLE—TRADE RUINED WOMEN ASSIST IN UNLOADING VESSELS DESPITE earnest efforts made in some quarters to settle the waterside dispute in Australia, there is still no definite sign of an early settlement. Increasing alarm is felt. Many more workers are daily thrown idle. Christmas trade threatens to be ruined. Women employees of importing firms helped to unload ships tied up at Sydney.

By Cable.—Press Association.— Copyright

Reed. 10.30 a.m. MELBOURNE, To-day From the proceedings of the Arbitration Court yesterday, it appears that the men desire a settlement of the question of a second pick-up before going to the full conference with the owners.

The Management Committee takes the view that Mr. Justice Beeby’s statement meant that if the Federation gives an undertaking to observe the awards he would deal with the question of one pick-up in the conference and that the men would not have to resume two pick-ups before a full conference was granted. After a meeting of the shipowners to-day, it was learned that they retarded the preliminary conference to leal with the pick-up question as useless, and that the whole of the matters in dispute should come before the full conference of the two sides, which •ssibly will be called to-day. HUNDREDS AT COURT Hundreds of waterside workers gathered at the Federal Arbitration Court yesterday morning for the opening of the hearing of the waterside workers’ overtime dispute. Mr. Justice Beeby, who presided, read a lengthy statement dealing with the events which led up to the difficulties. He said it seemed that an allegation had been made by the Waterside Workers’ Federation that it had been denied access to the Court. The Court had been open to both parties since November. The hearing of the case had been delayed only because the union and the employees had not given tho necessary guarantees that they would observe the conditions of the existing award, and because they would not preserve the dignity of the Court. If trades unions were to have arbitration, they must obey the awards of the Court. The Judge added that the affidavits and evidence submitted to the Court raised a strong presumption that after a long hearing and the making of an award, the employees and the union did not intend to accept the Court’s decision. Without the removal of that presumption, it was impossible for the Court to hear the union’s case. He made a request for a definite undertaking to abide by the award. APPEAL FOR CONFERENCE This was followed by an appeal from Mr. Croft, secretary of the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades Unions, that he should take the parties to the dispute into conference, and make final efforts to have the case heard in the open Court. Mr. Croft added that full assurances that the existing award would be obeyed could be obtained.

Mr. Justice Beeby said the executive of the union must consider the matter and carry some definite resolution and submit it to the Court. There was an obstacle, and a very definite one, in the way of the Court functioning for the present. The Judge also sought, and was given, an undertaking by the secretary of the Waterside Workers’ Federation that if the dispute as to the second call for labour could be overcome, assurances would be given enabling him to proceed with the hearing of the waterside workers’ case. Mr. Croft again assured the Judge that if there were any difficulties in the way of hearing the case he believed they could be overcome, if he would only give the union an oppor tunity, in conference, of stating its side of the case. He undertook to give the necessary full assurances re quired from the executive. ANOTHER CHANCE The Judge said that with a full sense of responsibility, he would give the union a definite chance of again working under the Arbitration system. If it decided it would not do so, and members would not observe the awards, then they must take their own course. After receiving a promise that the required assurances would be obtained, the Judge adjourned the Court sine die, A combined conference of Melbourne and Sydney shipowners was held at Melbourne yesterday afternoon. It i& understood the shipowners are not altogether satisfied with the latest development. Their opinion is that the suggested conference can only be held at the request of both parties to the dispute.—A. and N.Z.

TRADES COUNCIL ACTS

AGREEMENT ALMOST REACHED ADHERENCE TO AWARDS Reed. 1035 a.m. MELBOURNE, To-day Following the proceedings at the Arbitration Court, a conference of the Management Committee of the Watersiders' Federation and the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades Unions was held, and it was at one stage practically agreed that the strike should be declared off. But then a hitch occurred, although it was claimed that, unofficially, overtures had been made to representatives of the shipowners, and an agreement reached on practically all points. The secretary of the Watersiders’ Federation stated that the Management Committee had expected to receive a message indicating the intention of the Arbitration Court, but as no information was received the meeting adjourned until to-day. Other members of the committee expressed the view that the entire onus of making arrangements for a conference between the parties to the dispute should not be left to the Watersiders’ Federation to determine, and it was claimed that the shipowners should have taken the initiative in the direction of convening a conference, failing action being taken by the Court authorities; but they declined to state what steps the Federation proposed to take regarding the assurances required by Mr. Justice Beeby tor observing the award. Trades Hall officials who took a leading part in the negotiations during the day said they had strongly urged that the Federation should pass the resolution required by Mr. Justice Beeby, and that the Federal Management Committee had agreed to accede to the request. They , also asserted that in addition to suspending- the overtime strike the committee had consented to instruct branches of the federation to adhere stricly to the awards. On condition that a conference with the shipowners is arranged, efforts will be renewed today to effect an immediate settlement of the dispute.—A. and N.Z.

ULIMAROA WILL RUN

GROWING ALARM FELT DISASTER TO INDUSTRY Reed. 11.15 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. rpHE owners of the Uiimaroa, which will be the first passenger steamer in the New Zealand service to be affected by the strike, state that they will continue the service even if they have to keep the cargo in the holds. A call will not be made for wharf labourers unless the strike is settled, and the vessel will commence her return voyage on Friday. Already carriers, warehousemen, ! storemen, collieries and many big em-

poriums which are awaiting consignments ot seasonable goods are seriously affected by the strike, and its continuance will result in widespread unemployment, and a loss to industry that is as yet incalculable. The virtual cessation of oversea and inter-State transport is preventing manufacturers from obtaining badlyrequired raw materials, and is making it impossible to fulfil some of the orders. Employers’ organisations are viewing the continuance of the disrate with alarm, and the members «re considering the inauguration a means to prevent a collapse ot industry. ACUTE POSITION Already the position is acute, and retrenchment has commenced. Within a few days a number of firms will be compelled to work half-time or close altogether. Retail firms are also finding trade slack, with the result that there will be a loss of wages if the strike continues. Extra hands will not be employed, as is customary, if it lasts a fortnight. It will mean an appalling disaster and a collapse of industry and commerce, following which retail business everywhere will be faced by a crisis. MANY MINERS IDLE Already 12,000 miners have been made idle, with a loss of their wages totalling £32,500 a fortnight. Officials of the Permanent and Casual Waterside Workers’ Union submitted a scheme to the shipowners, purporting to provide a solution to the interminable num- i ber of strikes on the waterfront. It asks that the employers withdraw their preference from the Waterside Workers’ Federation and transfer it to the Permanent and Casual Watersiders’ Union. It claims that if that were done work would be resumed immediately throughout the Commonwealth. The Permanent and Casual Watersiders would then apply for a Federal award, and within a short space of time there would be no further hold up of shipping or loss of employment. —A. and N.Z.

WOMEN UNLOAD CARGO STRIKERS’ “RED HERRING” STATEMENT BY OWNERS Reed. 10.30 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day Everything is quiet along the waterfront. Some shipowners are utilising their clerical employees to unload perishable cargo, even some women employees taking a hand. There was a somewhat more hopeful feeling last night, in view of the doings of the Arbitration Court at Melbourne;, but tlie position is not meeting of the Employers’ Federation decided to support the shipowners’ attitude. It appointed a committee to deal with the position and with any developments that may arise. _ .. All the mines in the Newcastle district excepting two were closed today. Five thousand laden coal-trucks are standing on the lines awaiting shipment. A statement issued by the joint committee of the Oversea and Commonwealth Shipowners’ Associations emphasises that the cause of the strike is not confined to a dispute regarding one or two pick-ups. “The position,” it states, "has become intolerable owing to the lawlessness of the union during the past three years, and owners have been forced at last to tie up the ships.” It contends that, by using the one - pick-up question as a convenient red herring to draw across the union’s trail, the Watersiders’ Federation is striving to divert attention from many other flagrant breaches of the award, by narrowing the issue in this way, from a general non-observance of the award to one specific matter. “The Federation is hoping to find a way out of general compliance with the terms of the award,” the statement ‘concludes. Among the vessels which arrived at Sydney yesterday were the mail steamer Maloja and the White Star liner Vedic, both of which brought large quantities of cargo, which they were unable to unload at Adelaide and Melbourne. They are now added to Sydney’s list of idle ships, which is steadily increasing. Mr. W. H. Seale, secretary of the Sydney branch of thfc Waterside Workers’ Federation, voiced objection to Lascars being allowed to remove the luggage of the Maloja’s passengers. He said there were plenty of white Australians offering for the work, but .heir services were refused. He hoped the company was paying the same rates to the Lascars as it paid to members of the Waterside Workers’ Federation. The Ulimaroa will be tied up when she arrives from New Zealand to-day. —A. and N.Z.

FAMILIAR, BUT SERIOUS

SITUATION IN AUSTRALIA “WORKERS SEEK CONTROL” LONDON, Monday. “The Times” says that once again the economic life of Australia has been brought to a standstill. The situation is none the less serious for being familiar. The ,past history of the industry shows that the Seamen’s Union and the Waterside Workers' Union are seeking to control the maritime life of Australia. This explains the diffi culty of reaching a settlement. The owners feel that if the present action of the Waterside Workers’ Union in disregarding the award of the Arbitration Court is not resisted, the position will steadily become worse. Behind the actual dispute regarding overtime lie vital question of principle. The shipowners have taken their stand upon the award of the Arbitration Court, at a time when the Court is being increasingly criticised in Australia. Episodes such as the present one tend to destroy that reasonable measure of confidence which is requisite in business. “HE THAT IS DOWN” The present trouble finds the Commonwealth Line of steamers less perturbed than concerns which are endeavouring to pay their way, possibly on the ground that “He that is down need fear no fall.” The Commonwealth Line has abandoned the other shipowners. There are quarters in which its action will be so warmly applauded that further efforts will be made for its preservation. While everything must be done to save Australia from a grim Christmas, too high a price can be paid for peace. The unions have been extremely successful in the past. Far-seeing Australians have uttered warnings that the gulf between the cost of production in Australia and the rest of the world is growing dangerously wide. The day must come when the trades union leaders will realise that they are trying to erect a vast structure of highly-paid secondary industries upon insufficient foundations. —Times.