PROMPT, FIRM ACTION

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 459, 14 September 1928, Page 1

PROMPT, FIRM ACTION

Decision, of Shipowners

free labour to be engaged

The Australian shipowners have decided promptly to act in meeting the watersiders’ strike by placing themselves in a position to employ free labour as they desire.

(United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright)

Reed. 10 a.m. MELBOURNE, To-day. A s a result of the refusal of the • waterside workers to abide by the terms of Mr. Justice Beeby’s award the shipowners have determined upon prompt action. They have decided to ask the Arbitration Court immediately to declare that a state of strike exists under the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The effect of such a declaration would be that the owners would be in a position to employ any person to carry on the shipping industry. As soon as the declaration has been made by the court the owners will immediately apply for free labour to handle cargoes and ships. A statement issued by the Overseas Shipping Representatives’ Association yesterday says the waterside workers are being deliberately kept in ignorance of the advantages to be gained by them under the new award. If they understood the true facts the strike would collapse like a house of cards. The shipowners, in a further statement, declare that the new. award really gives higher wages, better hours, and easier working conditions to the waterside workers. The fact is that they do not like the idea of the new award making away with the cherished system, by which every branch at * every port had enforced its own conditions, through some new domestic rule designed to over-ride or supersede some award condition obnoxiaus to the men. A USELESS CALL The Melbourne wharf workers refused to answer the morning call yesterday, and several additional ships are tied up there, making the number of idle vessels 14. The Tasmanian cargo .service being maintained by two vessels.

day and the list of idle ships is steadily growing. COMPLETE STANDSTILL At Brisbane work is again at a complete standstill on the waterfront, and the Queensland capital is faced with a potato famine, this’ notwithstanding the fact that several, thousand bags of imported potatoes are on the idle ships. The Hobart waterside workers again refused to work under the new award, but representatives of the consignees, by arrangement with the HuddartParker Company, are unloading perishable goods from the steamer Kowhai At Newcastle the waterside workers refused to accept work under the new award, and the port was idle to-day. Speaking in the Federal House of Representatives at Canberra, the Prime Minister, Mr. Bruce, said the Government’s object was to maintain the shippng services and the necessary supplies. He would say nothing further about the trouble.

VOLUNTEER WORKERS NO INTERFERENCE YET Reed. 10 a.m. ADELAIDE, To-day. It is reported that volunteer labour is handling perishable cargo, and so far there has been no interference by the strikers. The only work on the waterfront yesterday was the unloading of thfc motor-ship Minnipa by clerks from the Adelaide Steamship Company’s office. The waterside workers refused to ac-" cept work on any ship.' There are 20 vessels tied up at Port Adelaide. Free labour was engaged for several of the other vessels, but work was not commenced immediately. LONDON PAPER’S VIEW FIRM ACTION TAKEN (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) LONDON, Thursday. Commenting on the waterside workers’ strike in Australia, the “Daily Telegraph” says: “It is not three months since the collapse of the preposterous struggle with the Marine Cooks’ Union over the discharge of a sea- cook, yet the Australian shipping industry is again plunged into serious trouble. “The attitude of the Waterside Workers’ Federation is that it will obey or disobey the law as it thinks fit. This time, however, the shipowners seem to have taken firm action from the start by refusing point-blank the federation’s requests for a conference.”

It is estimated that in Melbourne nlone there are already 20,000 men idle through the strike. Mr. E. J. Hogan, Premier of Victoria, conferred >vith some of the parties to the dispute to* day. He says he is hopeful for a settlement, but in shipping circles little faith is placed in his efforts. Unless the strike is settled by next week free labour will be engaged at all the ports. When the waterside workers at Sydney were offered work at the morning call yesterday they were told individually that they would be engaged only under the new award. Tlie men accepted those terms at all the steamers, including the Ulimaroa, which will sail for Wellington to-day. At the afternoon call, however, the men refused work. The crews of many vessels are to bb paid off to-