STRIKE IMPENDING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 207, 29 February 1912, Page 5

STRIKE IMPENDING.

AUCKLAND LABORERS. CITY COUNCIL WILL NOT CONFER WITH THE MEN. MOVEMENT MAY SPREAD. By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, February 28. There seems to be every prospect of an Immediate general 6trike, probably on an extensive scale, in the Auckland district. The men have threatened it, and the employers do not seem, over-anxious to avert it—probably from the belief that the sooner it comes the better,, since every advance made by the Federation of Labor, which is at the back. of the trouble," means increased difficulty in settlement. Thus a strike now may be settled much easier than one in a year's time, whien the organisation, of the federation is more complete. HISTORY OF THE DISPUTE.

Briefly, the history of the dispute is this:—The General Laborers' Union has submitted to the City Council, to other local bodies, and to different employers' associations, certain proposals embodying improved conditions of labor (for tunnel workers and others), with higher wages, and, in certain instances of wet work, shorter hours. In the first place, the union officials asked to be met by the employers to discuss these proposals. The employers refused to discuss anything with the union unless through the medium of the Conciliation Court and the Arbitration Court. The City Council after much delay (which was favorably interpreted by the union to mean" a redress, to grant the conference asked for), ultimately took up the same attitude as the other employees. They all Tefused to have any dealings with the men whatever, except through the machinery of thiei Arbitration Act. Now, it is clearly recognised that this method of conciliation is closed to the General Laborers' Union, which is affiliated, to the Federation of Labor, an organisation legally constituted under the Trades Union Act and outside the scope of the Arbitration Court. The invitation of the employers to the General Laborers' Unron is clearly to cut adrift from the Federation of' Labor and to register uhder the Arbitration Act. Acceptance of such an invitation is beyond the limits of probability at the present stage of industrial evolution in New Zealand. Having vainly tried Ho secure the muchdesifed conference, the General Laborers' Union passed the control of the situation. so far as they were concerned, over to the Federation of Labor. CONFERENCE REFUSED.

Mr. P. C. Webb and Mr. J. Glover (president nnd secretary respectively of the Federation of Labor) have to-day been trying to fret into touch with the Citv Council and the other employers, to ask officially that a confprence be granted to discuss the proposals put forward by the General Laborers' Union. Thev bespoke the good offices of the Hon. G. Fowlds to act mediator, and Mr. Fowlds accordingly approached the Mayor with a request that the Citv Council should receive the federation delegates. The Mayor has refused to grant this request, and has taken up the attitude that a conference may be granted only in the Conciliation Commissioner's "chamber or in "the Arbitration Court, and, as has been already pointed out, this way is not bpen to the Federation of Labor, a deadlock has been (reached. The employers have refused to meet the men. except under the Arbitration Act;' the men registered under the Trades Union Act have refused to register under the Arbitration Act. The federation claims that it has settled all previous disputes referred to it in an amicable way. The Auckland employers have set them a problem that apparently cannot be settled. *

A large meeting of waterside workers passed a strongly-worded resolution condemning the actioji of the City Council in connection with the dispute with the general laborers, and calling upon the council' and all publicly elected local bodies to reconsider their decision not to receive representatives of the federation, and to refuse to incur the responsibility of widespread trouble. 1 MAY J3TRIKE TO-DAY. Auckland, Last Night. It is stated on good' authority that there is a possibility of a general laborers' strike to-morrow.