FEDERATION MANIFESTO.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 5 November 1913, Page 5

FEDERATION MANIFESTO.

THE PROPOSALS MADE. , ' WILL NOT ACCEPT ARBITRATION. WELLINGTON, Last Night. The Federation of Labour has Issued the following official statement for public information:, — <' 'The Federation assures the people of its earnest desire to bring the crisis to an end, and while admitting that the 'stop-work' meeting of the watersiders, which was one of the contributing causes, was a breach of agreement, it respectfully insisted that the vital iseue just now is to restore peace and order. This end the Federation has done all'in its power to secure, and it appeals to those who may incline to the opinion that it should make further concessions to bear in mind that the de- i legates have to consider the temper of the men they represent", as well as the honour of the delegates and - of the organisation. : At tho, conference just concluded, the following; alternative proposals were i submitted for consideration; That all waterside workers shall at once resume work on the same conditions as thc.so obtaining prior to the cessation of work, and that a conference be held immediately between the shipping companies , and other parties concerned for the purpose of drafting anew agreement, ... | In the alternative, the delegates Submitted the following: That tho present national agreement be extended for a period to be arranged from date, to cover the waterfronts of the Dominion, with a penalty (to be arranged) for the stoppage of work, ae defined by clause 23 of the agreement. In the event of the employers accepting either of the foregoing pro-i posals, the • Federation was (and i»J" also prepared to agree to the following" additional clause: . That before any union can. create a stoppage of work the question at issue shall be. .submitted to ; the ; Unitedi Federation, of Labour, ~ which body shall confer with the employers in order to secure, a final settlement, the United Federation of Labour doing all in its power! to enforce the terms of the agreement.

. Unfortunately the employers refuse to entertain any of the foregoing proposals, but they insist upon a condition which is impossible of acceptance. Had the foregoing proposals with respect to the waterside difficulty been accepted, the delegates were prepared tossubmit the following proposal with a view to securing a settlement of the Huntly strike : That three-representatives from the, employers and three from tho workers be set up -as a tribunal at Huntly to - inquire into the alleged victimisation of th<i employees; the iindings/of the tribunal to be final. In the/teveut of the £iibunal finding t'liat there was discrimination, "ihec'tfieii:: 1 dismissed to'be re-engag-edr'Avllen the mine resumes, '/he Federation respectfully submits that the foregoing offers an opportunity for an honourable conclusion toi tho existing hapless condition of fffi'aire. The failure*of negotiations is due entirely to the employers insisting on the workers forming union?? under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The Federation submits that this attitude is unreasonable and impossible of fulfilment.

The Federation has used its best endeavours to terminate the dispute, and is still willing that every reasonable safeguard should be taken against a recurrence of any breach of the agreement. It cannot, however, do the impossible. It cannot undertake tq compel its members to vote against their will in favour of a system which they have deliberately but lawfully cast? aside, and while regretting the continuance' of the existing industrial upheaval, it submits that it canno't reasonably be expected to go further towards securing its termination." *he manifesto is signed by W. T. Young (president), and P. H. Hickey (secretary.) of the Federation of Labour.