“CONFOUNDED IMPERTINENCE”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 348, 8 May 1928, Page 1

“CONFOUNDED IMPERTINENCE”

Sharp Reply to Strikers COOKS’ REQUEST FOR CONFERENCE /CONFOUNDED impertinence” is how the chairman of the V. Huddart-Parker Company describes the request of the striking marine cooks for a conference. The company stands firm to its previous decisions.

to its previous decisions.

CUnited P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) Reed. 9.50 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. The Fed'eral Secretary of the Marine Cooks' Union, Mr. Tudehope, has gone to Brisbane. Several days will elapse before the reply to the shipowners’ letter of yesterday can be formulated. Mr. G. Moate, general president of the union, met the disputes committee at the Trades Hall, Melbourne, and arranged a meeting of representatives of all the maritime unions in Melbourne on Wednesday. The disputes committee is anxious to prevent a serious upheaval. Reed. 9.5 a.m. MELBOURNE, To-day. Mr. W. Appleton, chairman of Hud-dart-Parker’s, commenting on the request of the cooks for a conference, said he had never heard of such confounded impertinenece. While the union defied the Court’s authority, the owners would give no guarantees in writing, other than those contained in their telegraphed reply, that the conditions of the suspended aw\rd would continue to operate if cooks manned the vessels. The cooks could apply to the Court to have the suspended award restored. Pending a reply from the union, no calls for cooks would be made.

Mr. Appleton said he had already received a number of applications from volunteer cooks. UNTIL WEDNESDAY

An earlier cable mes said that a special meeting of the Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ Association was held yesterday. A lett was received from the general secretary of the Marire Cooks’ Union at Sydney asking tor a conference to frame an agreement to replace -a award which has just been suspended. The association decided to aa>,*. the union that no conference can be granted while its members persist in direct action, and that the owners will give the union until Wednesday to man all vessels when required. Otherwise the owners will take whatever steps they consider necessary. HAND OF RUSSIA SEEN

A message from Canberra tliat allegations that the frequent dislocations of the shipping services are inspired by Soviet influences are contained in a bulletin isi..c„ by the erai Parliamentary Country Party. This ■ the Council of Trades Unions turns a deaf ear to the words of the secretary of the South Australian Seamen’s Union. He is convinced that the Soviet has rrun operations in Australia to cause frequent dislocations in the maritime services, so that the Soviet can secure the trade instead.

The Soviet has in hand arrangements for holding a Red Pacific Unions Conference in Australia next year.