Bruce May Step In

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 375, 8 June 1928, Page 1

Bruce May Step In

SHIPPING HOLD-UP

Navigation Act Suspension ?

(United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) (Australian Press Association)

Reed. Noon. CANBERRA, To-day. THE West Australian and South Australian Governments are requesting the Commonwealth Government to suspend the Navigation Act, which will enable overseas vessels to carry passengers and cargo round the Australian coast during the cooks’ strike, which is proving disastrous.

Mr. Bruce, In a statement, declared that the Government had already Indicated that it recognised its obligations to maintain essential communications. The Government had so far refrained from taking action in the hope that the Australian Trades Union Council would be able to discipline the union responsible. It had now become a question for serious consideration, whether the Government would be obliged to take action almost immediately. There is still no sign of a settlement of the marine cooks' strike. The Marine Stewards' Union has decided to call a meeting of the transport group of uuiona to be held to Sydney

to discuss the position with a view to a settlement. The shipowners propose to make the steamer Loongana a test ship to decide whether the other maritime unions are going to support the cooks’ strike. On Tuesday an effort will be made to m~n the vessel without cooks. The owners would supply the passengers with cold meats and other suitable foods, to be cooked in Melbourne by strictly union labour only. This w ill place on the maritime unions the onus of either accepting or rejecting engagement on the vessel. The president of the Council of Trades Unions has issued a statement appealing to the Arbitration Court to intervene in the dispute.