ULTIMATUM IGNORED

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 350, 10 May 1928, Page 9

ULTIMATUM IGNORED

COOKS STILL ON STRIKE ALL SHIPS TO BE TIED UP (United P.A.—By Telegraph Copyright) Reed. 9.25 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. Dislocation o£ the shipping between Australia and New Zealand, due to the cooks’ strike, was responsible for an incident unique in the history of Grafton and the North Coast yesterday, when 18 bags of mails from New Zealand for the Australian States were landed there. The mails are being dispatched from New Zealand to Australia by any available vessel. The Poolta, which makes periodical trips, brought this consignment, dated Auckland, May 2, which will be distributed to-day. Tbe marine cooks who are on strike ignored the ultimatum of the shipowners that the shibs must he manned by yesterday. When a call was made for a butcher for the Kanowna, which is at present under the HuddartParker Company’s control, there was no response. Owing to the men’s defiance of the owners’ ultimatum, the latter will tie up all the inter-State ships until continuity of sailing is assured.

A message from Melbourne says the chairman of the Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ Association states that the prospects for a settlement of the cooks’ dispute are not bright, as it is known the Sydney branch was instructed not to supply a butcher for the Kanowna, the entire crew of which will be paid off. At a conference between representatives of the maritime organisations and the Trades Hall Disputes Committee, the matter was referred to the Australian Council of Trades Unions. Further secret negotiations then took place and it is considered likely that the cooks may be instructed to resume work, or alternatively not to extend the dispute and to give the council an opportunity of intervening.