SHIPPING TRADE OF PORT PARALYSED.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9047, 13 March 1908, Page 5

SHIPPING TRADE OF PORT PARALYSED.

Received March 12, 11.44 p.m. SYDNEY, March 12. The strike has almost entirely paralysed the shipping trade of the port. Over three thousand wharf labourers have ceased work as a protest against the North Coast Steam Navigation, Newcastle and Hunter River ar.d Plawarra Companies em ploying non-unionists. i Received March 13, 1.7 a.m. SYDNEY, March 12. It transpires that negotiations have been proceeding between the Steamship Owners' Association and the Wharf Labourers' Union since the commencement of the trouble ■with the three coastal companies with a view to arriving at a settlement. The Union offered to handle the cargo on coastal steamers if the were worked by members the Union: receiving Union rates ot 'P av - . ,' ~ jj. The coastal companies declined to accept these terms. Further negotiations failing a ballot was decided upon by the Union. It is understood that the voting was approximately 900 for and 600 against a strike out of a membership of 3,300. The secretary of the Wharf Labour •era' Union stated to-night that it was probable that the trouble would extend to the whole of the States, but he did not expect that the strike would last long, as the entire shipping of the Commonwealth would be tied up if it did.