DOCK LABOURERS' STRIKE. FULLER PARTICULARS. NEGOTIATIONS FOR SETTLEMENT. TRADE PARALYSED.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 411, 16 October 1889, Page 4

DOCK LABOURERS' STRIKE. FULLER PARTICULAR S. NEGOTIATIONS FOR SETTLEMENT. TRADE PARALYSED.

Loxuox, August 28. Tin; R.M.S. Massilia, which arrived at Albany on the 29th ult., brought the following letter from the London correspondent of the " Sydnejr Morning Herald," which | was telegraphed from Albany. It j*B dated August 28th, and describes the position in relation to the recent strike of dock labourers at the time the mail was despatched :—: — The strike, which originated with the dock labourers ot the South West India ])ock a fortnight ago, lias been growing day by day, till now it is estimated that upwards of a hundred thousand men are out. Only a comparatively small proportion of these are dockers?, mini herb of riverside men having joined the strike in the first week, while latterly there has been a revolt in labour of all kind?, and coalporters, carmen, ironworkers, seed-crushers, chemical, copper ore, and phosphate workers, tailor?, tailoresses, and many others have thrown in, to a limited degree, their lot with their underpaid brethren at the docks. Tha result is an almost complete stoppage of tiade in the city. What threatened to be the most serious stiike was that of the coal-porters and carmen at the vaiious railway stations in London, who were persuaded, and it is said intimidated, to quit work by emisearies from the dock strikers.

THE COAL SUPPLY OF LONDON was imperilled, and there were predictions that the gasworks would be compelled to stop work owing; to the non supply of coal. Fortunately, the coal- merchants saw the danger ol their position, and promptly made terms with the men, who have now returned. One noticeable feature of the strike is that most of the men who hnve come out ha\e no grievance whatever, but have simply acted out of sympathy with the dockers, and in the hope that their striking will compel the merchants and others to do their best to make the dock companies accede to the labourers' demands. It is also worthy of notice that none of the trades unions and societies have directed these strikes, but the men have come out at the request of the dockers. It is asserted in some quarters that the strike had been planned long before by the Socialists, and colour is lent to this statement by the fact that

JOHN BURNS, THE SOCIALIST LEADER, is at the head of the movement. Burns, however, asserts that Socialism has nothing to do with the strike, and that he was invited by the strikers to help them, which he did with plaasure, as he had himself experienced the hardships against which they were complaining. Burns, it must bo said, has conducted the strike with great skill. He is a quick-witted man, with a rough style of oratory which is peculiarly effective and a far-reaching voice, which makes him an excellent platform speaker. He is very popular with the strikers, and has enormous influence over them. Indeed, it is said that but for his interference several of the docks would have been fired. In his negotiations with the Dock Committee, Burns has shown himself to be a perfect master of all the facts of the case, and has firmly stood out for the demands first made by the strikers. The agitation has been carried on all the week in the same way as last. Proceedings have begun each day with a meeting in the neighbourhood of the dock.", at which Burns and other mediators have explained the state of affairs, and then the strikers have

MARCHED IN PROCESSION TO THE CITY, headed by bands. The leaders had frequent, interviews with tbe'dock authorities, which so far have proved fruitless, though the directors have been gradually gi\ing way on all points, and now only one remains, but that is the inevitable one. It is that the rate of pay sha'l be 6d an hour. A moat important meeting was held on Wednesday, and attended by the dock directors, the strike leaders and two representatives of the wharfowners, who previously held a meeting, at which resolutions were passed in favour of the strikers. Alter a protracted meeting the dock directors announced that they would agree to all the proposals of the strikers, except that of an increase of pay to sixpence per hour. The following were the proposals submitted by the strikers : — Outsiders called in not to be di«cha r ged with less than 2s pay ; that contract work be abandoned and a system of piecework substituted, by which the men shall receh c the total gross receipts of the job direct from the companies, drawing, in the meantime, a minimum of sixpence per hour ordinary time, and eightpence per hour overtime for their work, so long as the job lasts, overtime to be reckoned from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. The directors inquired whether the demand for 6d an hour was an absolute condition, a?, that being withdrawn, all other points might be arranged to the satisfaction of both parties. The answer was that

THE RATE OF SIXPENCE AN HOUR WAS VITAL. The companies could not consent to this, and the conference was suspended. A further meeting was held on Thursday, as a I result of which the directors after a pro- ! tracted discussion issued the following communication : — The joint committee have j decided to adopt the following conditions for extra labour at the docks under their control : 5d per hour, with 6d per hour overtime, to apply to all labour nob piecework, but men taken on before noon, if discharged by the Dock Company, receive not less pny than 2s. Secondly, the present contract work to be converted into piecework as far and ass?oon as practicable, under which the men will be paid not less than 6d an hour, with 8d an hour overtime, and divide the surplus, if any, between them all, the payments being made to men under the supervision of the dock officials. Thirdly, hours of overtime shall be from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. Fourthly, the committee will use best endeavours to obtain from the Government a

PROLONGATION OF CUSTOMS HOUES, which, it granted, will have the effect of extending the time during which pa}' may be earned." Accompanying this was a letter announcing that the directors trusted these concessions would put an end to the strike. The desired eflect, however, did not result. Mr Burns placed the committee's proposals before the meeting, which refused to accept them, and late the same night the strikers issued a manifesto, which concluded in the iollowing terms : — •* We solemnly appeal to the workers of London, of all grades and every calling, to refuso to work on Monday next, unless the directors have before 12 noon on August 31 officially informed the sommittee that the moderate demands of the dock labourers will be fully and frankly conceded." The position of affairs is thus much the same as *st week, and it remains

to be ' seen whether either side" will give way. The labourers do nob seem likely to do so. The strike committee is collecting a large amount of money, which has been entirely used to support the strikers' families. It is, howevor, stated that a few men, eluding the vigilance of the pickets, have gone back to work in the docks, and the companies say that 2,000 workmen are now omployed, a statement which is contradicted by the strike committee. Ono recrettable feature of the strike is that, despite Burns's advice,

MANY CASES OF INTIMIDATION are appearing. Several strikers have been brought up at the police courts and im- . prisoned for trying bo prevent men doing work. As a general rule, however, the conduct of the strikers has been most exemplary, and, beyond obstructing the traffic, they have given no cause for complaint. In the city the distress amongst their families is great, and buc for the subscriptions which have been freely tendered, many musb have starved. The shipping trade of London has been simply paralysed. Many steamers have been diverted from London to other ports for unloading. The I*, and 0. Company have ;jono back to their old loading place j at Southampton, where the steamers Homo and Shannon are now taking in cargo. Other companies have sent ships to Liverpool and to Antwerp, while even Rochester has been utilised by one fi*m. The Orient Company succeeded partially in loading the R.JVI.s. Liguria, which takes next week's mails, thanks to the efforts of

A PAltT\r OF CLERKS, who volunteered for the service, although threatened by the strikers. They were compelled to desist, but fortunately not until the work was almost done. The Liguria then proceeded to Plymouth, where, after taking in moro cargo, sho will bo delayed several days. The New Zealand Shipping Company had equal dith'eulty with the Kuapehu, which started on Wednesday afternoon after having been delayed I six days. She was secretly loaded by her own officers, assisted by pever.il other officers of that company's vessels lying idle in the dock, while the passengers also gave valuable help. It was feared that the tiromen on both the Liguria and Ruapehu might strike, but fortunately the strikers' picket* did not get hold of them as they "joined the ship. The number of vessels lyinj; in the Thames docks awaiting unloading is so great that even if tho strikers resume work at once, a large poition of the cargoes being petishable runs a great of becoming unfit for sale. Lartre

CONSIGNMENTS OF FROZEN MEAT from Australia, New Zealand, and River Plate are lying 1 on board the steamers Kaikoura, Fifeshire, and Selembria, and fears are entertained that should the strike continue cargoes will not be delivered in a saleable condition. The Kaikoura md Fifeshire are lying in the Koyal Albert dock, the former carrying 32,000 and the latter 25,000 carcases. Messrs Nelson Bros, took down to the dock some of their men from che stores, but on account, of the threatening attitudeof thestrikers they were obliged to desist from discharging: the meat, ot which they obtained only 180 carcases. These were sent to the market, which was totally paralysed, and fetched a high price, from "l^rl to 2d per lb higher than last week, 'lhe meat was sent to , 'market by rail, as the vans by which it is usually carted were incapacitated from use, by being deprived of their wheels and shafts and turned over on their sides by tho strikers. On Thursday the strikers did not offer resistance when attempts were made to empty the Fifeshire, and her cargo has now been

NEARLY CLEARED BY A SCRATCH CREW of clerks, porter?, and the few dock labourers who still work. The New Zealand Shipping Company's Hurunui is lying ab the Southwest India Dock, loaded by some eiby clerks and supernumerary stewardp. " As the vessel requires only 170 ton? of cargo to complete her loading, she probably will sail on Saturday. All other work in the dock is at a standstill. No fewer than thirty Sunderland steamers, in addition to the sailing ships, are laid up in London in consequence of the strike, unable to load. The passenger steamer General Havelock, which runs between Sunderland and London, and also carries geneial cargo, has bi ought back her last shipment to Sunderland. One result of the inconvenience suffered by the shipowners has been the suggestion thrown out by Mr Frilton Hartnan, of the General Steam Navigation Company, that a Dock Trust should be formed. This proposal has been taken up by Sir H. Isaacs (the Lord Mayor elect of London), who said, referring to his Mayoralty, ho would give effect to the suggestion. Mr Sutherland, the Chairman of the 1\ and O. Company, has written to the " Times," stating that the shipowners have a project in view of constructing a co-operative dock on the Thames, at Woolwich. Plans for this dock have been already drawn up, and the projectors believe it could bo woiked much cheaper than any of tho existing docks.