STRIKE POSITION GRAVE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 458, 13 September 1928, Page 1

STRIKE POSITION GRAVE

Passenger Services Suspended N.Z. SHIPS NOT AFFECTED YET

Governments Will Co-Operate The position in the Australian shipping hold-up is grave. Passenger services right round the coast have been suspended. Free labour will be called on if the watersiders do not come to terms. New Zealand services are not as yet affected. (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) Itecd. 9.5» am- SYDNEY, To-day.

STEAMERS trading to New Zealand and the Pacific Islands will, according to present arrangements, continue to maintain their schedules. There is no hitch so far in regard to the Ulimaroa, which is sailing to-morrow at 8 o’clock for JJe’v Zealand. \

Vessels averaging 3,000 tons are laid up at Sydney, and the passenger services right round the coast have been suspended. West Australian travellers’ fares hare been refunded, and they are being transferred to the trans-Aus-tralian railway. Mr. Tom Walsh, who is now prominently identified with the industrial peace movement, has gained a victory over Mr. Jacob Johnson for the secretaryship of the Seamen's Union. It is expected that legal action will be taken by Mr. Johnson’s followers to post Mr. Walsh. CHAOS INEVITABLE The afternoon call for labour again (riled on the Sydney waterfront yesterday. The shipowners, in view of the chaos reigning, have now derided not to receive any more general eargo for shipment from Sydney to inter-State ports. Plenty of labour vas available at the morning call and all the vessels at Sydney were worked.

A statement has been issued by the Overseas Shipping Representatives’ Association. This says that far from seeking peace the Waterside Workers’ Federation has taken one more deliberate step to render chaos inevitable. In the face of the waterside workers’ action their peace gestures are obviously insincere. “OBNOXIOUS CLAUSE” OLD AWARD PREFERRED STATEMENT BY MEN’S LEAKER (Australian and -V.Z. Press Association.) Reed. 10 a.m. MELBOURNE, To-day. The president of the Watersiders’ Federation, Mr. Mather, states that his organisation is anxious to settle the waterfront trouble by constitutional means; but the second pick-up clause in Judge Beeby’s award is so obnoxious that his members prefer to work under the old award, which actually prescribes lower rates of pay. Alternatively, the federation prefers to tender for the whole loading of ships in the same way as is already done in the case of wheat cargoes. The Prime Minister’s warning telegram to the Watersiders’ Federation stated that the Government must uphold the law and enfore it. Mr. Bruce said he had asked the ship-owners to take action under the award to carry on the transport service, and he asked the federation, in the interests of the people of Australia, to do the same. The State Cabinets of New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania have telegraphed to Mr. Bruce, promising him every support. At Melbourne the shipowners have cancelled all inter-State passenger bookings and say that if the dispute is not settled by Monday they will employ free labour. The Premier of New South Wales, Mr. T. R. Bavin, in his reply to Mr. Bruce’s telegram, said his Government would give the fullest co-opera-tion in carrying out the law and in affording protection to all citizens who were prepared to carry on the work of the marine transport industry under the terms of the new award. At Melbourne a conference of waterside workers by a large majority decided to affiliate with the Australian and New Zealand Council of the Trades Unions, which will now have official power to act in the dispute. The shipowners have refused to accede to a further request from the waterside workers for a conference. They said they would not meet the representatives of the men until work has been resumed under th new award.