H.-ll

XI

Court which came into force on the day they struck. The strike lasted five weeks, during which time the steamers affected were out of commission and 550 men were idle. The loss to the men in wages amounted to £6,000, whilst the corresponding loss to the shipping companies is estimated at £18,000. The dispute was settled by agreement between the owners and the Merchant Service Guild Industrial Union of Workers, to which the men belong, the former increasing the rates of pay, with a few exceptions, up to £1 per month above that fixed by the award, and agreeing to restrict the working of overtime to a minimum. The above-mentioned union was summoned before the Magistrate's Court for instigating the strike and fined £100. An appeal by the union against this decision is pending. Waterside Workers, Auckland (21st November, 1911). —In this case thirty-four men engaged in unloading a cargo (part of which included superphosphates) from the steamer " Paparoa " demanded an increase of 3d. per hour above the award rate of Is. 3d. On their request being refused they declined to proceed with the work. After half an hour, however, the demand was conceded and work was resumed. The loss to the men in wages amounted to £1 Is. 3d., whilst the loss to the employers was £8 10s. Proceedings against the workers' union for aiding and abetting an unlawful strike are pending.* There were also several minor disputes, which (1) were either of a trivial nature, for which reason it was not considered necessary to take action, or (2) did not come within the scope of the Act, there being no award or agreement in force. The following cases come under heading (1) : — Costume-makers, Auckland (one day). Hotel workers, Rotorua (one day). Labourers, Hastings (one day). Waterside workers, Timaru (two cases —one day and four hours respectively). The following cases come under heading (2) : — Dredge hands, Gisborne (one day). Dredgemen, Southland (one day). Freezing-chamber hands, Moturoa, Taranaki (one day). Labourers, Hastings (one day). Labourers, Wairoa (one day). Shearers, Otago (one day). Shearers, Masterton (one day). Threshing-millers, Timaru (one day). Waterside workers, Auckland (one day). Woollen-mill workers, Roslyn (seven days). A summary of the whole of the strikes which have occurred in New Zealand since the inception of the Act is given in the following return. It will be noted that of a total of sixtyrthree strikes over a period of eighteen years thirty-four, or 54 per cent, of the whole, are regarded as trivial or unimportant. Of the sixty-three strikes, thirty-three (nine of which were important) were outside the scope of the Act, and thirty under it. The loss to workers was estimated at £29,132, and to employers £37,134. Summary of Strikes in New Zealand since inception of Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act (1894) to 31st March, 1912. Number of strikes coming within scope of the Act... ... ... 30 Number of strikes outside the Act ... ... ... ... 33 Total number of strikes ... ... ... ... ... 63f Number of disputes included in total which may be classed as trivial or unimportant ... ... ... ... ... ... 34 Men fully successful in ... ... ... ... (cases) 22 Employers successful in ... ... ... ... ~ 14 Compromise effected in ... ... ... ... ~ 27

* The case was subsequently dismissed, the Court holding that the union was not responsible for the action of its secretary, at whose instigation the men ceased work. The evidence showed that the union had not authorized the secretary's action, which, the Court held, could not be treated as having been done by him in the course of his duties »s secretary of the union. Action is being taken by the Department against the men concerned. t Of this total, twelve strikes were of slaughtermen—practically one sympathetic dispute spread over the whole of the Dominion. Six were within the scope of Act, and six outside it.