COOKS' DISPUTE.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19317, 23 May 1928, Page 9

COOKS' DISPUTE.

UNIONS AT VARIANCE. LEADERS FAIL TO AGREE. (UNITED PRE 33 ASSOCIATION —BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH —COPYRIGHT.) (Received May 22nd, 8.5 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 22. Mr Tudehope, the secretary of the Marine' Cooks' Union, state that the Union is now going to endeavour to convene a conference with the owners to discuss proposed terms for settlement. Mr Tudehope strongly defended the action of the cooks yesterday, in refusing mediation by the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades Unions, stating that they do not recognise the latter's authority to intervene in the matter without the consent of the organisation directly concerned. He added that the Union intended to notify the owners that the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades Unions was acting without the authority of the cooks, and that the latter were now going to attempt to arrange a conference to discuss the question of abolition of the Roster system, together with other terms. A message from Melbourne states that despite the fact that the cooks repudiated the intervention of the Australian and New Zealand Council of the Trades Unions, it is expected that the Council will endeavour to reopen negotiations with the owners. If the cooks' leaders continue to refuse to recognise the Council's authority, the Council will conclude terms for a settlement with the owners and take the control of the dispute out of the cooks' leaders' hands. —Australian Press Association.

NOTHING YET ACHIEVED. MELBOUENE, May 22. The conference of the trades union representatives and shipowners discussed the position for an hour and a half, but nothing in the direction of a settlement was achieved. The owners stood firmly by the terms already announced. The unions' committees meet to-day to discuss the outcome of the conference and to decide their next move. Meanwhile, hundreds of men ppposed to the strike are idle and helpless. The Trades Union Council is unable to obtain replies to its messages to Mr J. Tudehope, who is recalcitrant, and has declined to allow his union to be represented at the "conference with the shipowners. The deputy-chairman of the Commonwealth Steamship Owners' Association, Mr Elford, stated there was a full and free discussion by the conference, and the shipowners pointed out to the trades union representatives that the offer they had made to. the cooks lacked nothing they enjoyed under the former award. Mr Jacob Johnson, secretary of the Australian Seamen's Union, who has returned to Sydney, declared that the Council of Trades Unions were a lot of bushrangers, who' were taking part in the' dispute without the cooks' authority, while some Melbourne officials appeared to be willing tools of the shipowners.—Australian Press Association. PROVISO FOR SUSPENSION. SYDNEY, May 22. Mr Justice Dethridge, of the Commonwealth Arbitration Court, dealing with the new award for the Merchant Service Guild, said that he intended to put in all future awards' a clause that in the event of an unreasonable strike or lock-out, the award shall be suspended.—Australian Press Association.