LABOUR TROUBLES.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3587, 24 September 1920, Page 5

LABOUR TROUBLES.

FORTY HOUR WEEK

AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS j

DEMANDS

SYDNEY, Sept. 22,

The Amalgamated Socety 'of Engineers has served demands on afl employers in the Commonwealth for a. fortv hour week and increased wages. The" Society is taking a ballot amongst members on the question of taking direct action instead of depending on the Court. FORTY-EIGHT HOUR WEEK. A STRIKE PROBABLE. Received 11.5 a.m. MELBOURNE, This day. The ballot throughout the Commonwealth of the Federated Marine Stewards and Pantrymen resulted in favour of a strike for a forty-sight hours’ week, the voting being 792 to 157. The Unjon execu ive will decide future action.

N.S.W. COAL TRIBUNAL,

INCREASED WAGES AWARDED,

SYDNEY, Sept. 22. The Coal Tribunal has issued its award. It frants an all-round increase, viz., adults’ wages of 17| per cent. ft fixes the maximum day’s wage at 16/0 * : ;

BRITISH COAL CRISIS,

LATEST DEVELOPMENT OF MINING TROUBLE.

LONDON Sept. 22.

After hearing Mr. Smillie’s announcement that -rhe executive did not consider the negotiations w?th 'the Government revealed sny justification for the prevention of a strike, the Miners’ Conference adjourned Ito enable the different sections to discuss the situation It is believed the miners’ leaders are not unanimous in fawnor of a strike.

A deputation from the Women’s Political Longue endeavoured to interview the Conference to present a petition protsfing against the strike, which would inflict % untold suffering on millions’ of innocent women and children. The Conference declined rfO admit the deputation, but received a petition. TRIPLE ALLIANCE DEPUTATION. LONDON, Sept. 22. The Triple Alliance deputation had three and a half hours’ conference with Mr Lloyd George in the hope composing the coal dispute. Nothing was settled, hut apparently the proceedings were not abortve as the deputation arranged to report to their congress to-morrow. The feeling of the latter will most probably influence the deputation at a later meeting which is likely to he arranged with Mr Lloyd George.

Recefved 975 a.m

LONDON, Sept. 23

The Triple Alliance deputation included the Miners' Executive, and Messrs. J. H. Thomas and Cramp on behalf of railwaymcn, and WiiTiams and Gosling on behalf of the transporters. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Sir R Horne, Mr. G. A. Gibbs, and Sir David Shackfeton. The official report shows that the representatives of the rail way men and transport workers warnrfy supported the miners' wages claim Mr. Lloyd George insisted that if the miners persisted in their demand for increased wages Urn demand must be submitted to a tribunal whoso impartiality the miners could not chal-

lenge; but he proposed as an alter- i native that the miners and" mineowners meet and argue on a scheme which would make an increase of wages dependent on an increase of output. He suggested that the level of output be fixed, all 1 output_aboye this level; to involve extra remuner-" ation. This level might even be fixed below the present output, thus assuring a certain increase in wages immediately The Government was -pro pared to make this concession in view of the advantage ,to the country of securing a relation between wages and output. He urged the miners to suspend the s'.rike notice for a week or a fortnight, while they examined with the mineowners the feasibility of the plan. The miners still urged an immediate advance of 2/-, but a subsequent conference deliberated privately on the new si.nation created. THE ITALIAN TROUBLE. RIOTING AT TURIN Received 9.50 a.m. LONDON, Sept. 2d. Advices from Turin state that rioting is general there. Four were killed and twenty wounded in a fight over a seized factory. A referendum of strikers in Turin and <Sawona decided to reject the agreement and continue the occupation of factories.