Australian Seamen and Havelock Wilson
Maoriland Worker, Volume 12, Issue 268, 12 April 1922, Page 3
About this newspaper
Australian Seamen and Havelock Wilson
.-The propaganda now being inatie against the Australian Seamen's Union, for its attitude towards the British crews bringing , out vessels built for the Commonwealth niakes some explanation necessary..
Several causes have contributed to the trouble. The failure of Havelock "Wilson's Union in Britain to c perate an agreement with the Australian-Union is one, and -another is that the Australian seamen are bent on .securing ■employment for them-, selves on ships in the Commonwealth lino.
According to Mr. T. Walsh, the general president of the Australian Seamen's Union, ,an agreement arrived at between tiie Union's representative at the Maritime Conference in Genoa in 1920, Mr. P. Burke, and Mr. Wilson's Union providing tor reciprocal treatment in the transfer of members has never been honoured either in its spirit or. its letter by hte British Seamen's Union, and that repeated representations on ..the matter, to Mr. Havelock Wilson have been disregarded. The feeling caused by the failure of Mr. Wilson to operate his agreement hjas been exasperated by the ■ refusal of many Australian seamen. to transfer into the British Union on the ground that under Mr. Wilson's leadership t is 'an employers' outfit.
In another statement Mr. Walsh says that, the . British Union has taken no steps whatever to, protect is members -when signing on for vessels.-coming to Australia or intended for the coastal trade. What the Australian Union has urged for years without the slightest apparent effect on the-.British Union was that an attempt should be made to secure in tho articles a provision stipulating .for repatriation to England at full rat.es of pay. Nothing- was done in this respect by the British Union until the trouble arose in connection with {lie '■Morton Bay" about a fortnight ago. Then the Union got a cable from Havelock Wilson promising to. get. the English seamen to stand for this provision. (Iα the cables to New Zealand about this dispute no mention was -made of Ivlr. Wilson's promise although full publicity was given to it in the Australian press.)
To obviate a repetition of the "Mo re ton Ray" trouble the Australian Seamen's Union, has made representation to the Hughes Government to' have Australian crews sent to England to bring out Comnionwei'lih vessels. Hughes .has replied* unfavourably. .
With respect to the "Moreton. Ray" ■ Mr. Walsh, points out that—and this will dispose of the false .-statement in tho Wellington "PohI" last week —tho Australian Union, although it insists that when a vessel arrives hi Australia from oversea the crew shall leave lier ia order to give another crew a chance. never refuses membership to any lion a fide seaman making application. This policy was aaopted towards (he crew of the "More ion Bay." On her arrival, the Australian Union had a, meeting to which. its whole crew was invited, rton-unionists., , along with the unionists, and after : -. thrashing * the matter out the crew unanimously voted to vacate-their positions on the ship. Jn reply to" assertions that they had beea refused ms'n'ibc-rthin, Mr. Walsh states yiat not oae of them had applied for it. ' He suggests that the press has sought to give tlie impression that, the Union adopted a tyrannical at-; titmle on 'the basis of allegations made■ 3n* ■ noii-Unionists in the crew] who did not even belong to Have-j lock- "Wilson's organisation. j
