SEAMEN'S STRIKE ENDED.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 303, 20 December 1913, Page 5

SEAMEN'S STRIKE ENDED.

NEW AGREEMENT SIGNED.

REGISTERED UNDER ARBITRATION ACT.

AUSTRALIAN BOYCOTT LIFTED.

(BY 'TELEGRAPH.—PREPS ASSOCIATION.)

WELLINGTON, Friday.

The strike situation was relieved this afternoon by the issue of the announcement signed by the delegates to the conference of the t-eamen's Union, which has been sitting in Wellington this week, to ; the effect that the strike of seamen was declared off, and -mcm'iers of the union were free to accept work on any ships after 4 p.m. to-day. It is expected that by to-morrow night all the required hands will be available, and the various services will be running under normal conditions thenceforth. The Federation of Labour conference, now in its eighth day, is believed still to be in session, but no pronouncement is forthcoming. so far from that quarter. The following notice was posted outside the Queen's Chambers at Agl3 p.m.: —" Federated Seamen's Union <if Australasia.—To members of tlie Seaman's Union and others interested: We. the undersigned delegates of the Federated Seamen's Union, representing the above organisation in New Zealand, hereby officially intimate that the strike of seamen is now declared off, and that all members of the organisation are free to accept employment on any ships from 4 p_m. to-day. Friday. December 19, 1913."—(Signed) W. Clarke, F. C Smith (Dunedin branch delegates); Jas! Jack, E. ilackie (Auckland branch delegate); John Baker, Jas. Shepherd (Wellington branch delegate)." Subsequently the delegates met the shipowners' representatives in the Union Company's buildings, and a new agreement, practically a facsimile of the old agreement, with the exception that the term is for three years ending December 31. 1916, and registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, is provided for, was signed by both sides. About 250 to 300 men were congregated in front of the Seamen's Union offices when the notiic was posted up, and as soon as the majority had read its contents a cheer went up. The text of the agreement is as follows:— TEXT OF AGREEMENT. The text of the agreement is as follows: — 1. -Subject to agreement being arrived at -between the parties, the Minister for Marine be requested to reinstate the Shipping Act suspended by his authority. 2. That, tlie agreement as to wage 6 .md other conditions of employment, dated Wellington, January 24. 1912, shall, as soon as possible (subject to the consequential alteration of the dates in clauses 32 and 33, and the deletion of all the words after tho word

ere trading within river or extended river limits and the Northern Steamship Company's steamers, trading between Auck'laml and the East Coast ports, (c) That employment in the Northern Steamship Company's steamers .will be open to members of the Federated Seamen's Union of -Australasia ais well as to the membere of the Auckland Seamen and Firemen's Union.

"Aparima" in da-use 3-3 of the sajd agreement) be renewed for a term ending December 31, 1916.

3. Tbe Auckland branch of the Federated Seamea's Union of Australasia to remain registered under t-he Industrial, Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and the Dunedin and Wellington branches undertake to register under tlie same Act forthwith.

4. When renewed the aforesaid referred to agreements to be .registered at Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin u*idcr the Industrial, Conciliation and Arbitration Act as industrial agreements.

5. The Federated Seamen' 6 Union of Australasia undertakes that its members wHI, from the date of this agreement, accept emph-ryment on any of the ships on the terms contained in the said agreement, dated January 24, 1912. and (subject to their rights in terms of the Shipping Act and agreement referred to herein) that such m<*ibeTS will not refuse to remain in 6uch employment, or to perform their ut.ual duties on board ships in accordance with la-w and their articles of a-gTeement.

6. That the steamship owners undertake thart, as far as reasonably possible the members of the Fed-eraScd Seamen's Union if 'Dhey so desire, go back to the ships they left, provided t-iie said ships and men ore in the same port on the resumption of work by the seamen, and that they (the owners) will instruct their ships' officers accordingly.

7. The Federated Seamen's IJnion of Australasia undertakes that any legally qualified men for Rome trade, intercolonial, or foreign trading ships employed by the steamship owners between October 22, I*l3. and the date hereof Fhall be permitted to join any branch of il -•'■e.liovenained union on payment of tt>- -n-tranee fee, and shall, provided they are financial members, not be subjected to any differential treatment as compared with ilie other members of the said union.

R. The Northern Steamship Company, Limited. Auckland, agree.-; that, subject to the following variations, it will not make any agreement with the new Auek--1 land Seamen and Firemen's Union on 'terms other than those contained in the 'seamen's agreement, dated Wellington I January 24, 1912. The variations arc: — (a) By adding the following proviso to clause 5 of the said agreement: The provision!; of this clause as to payment of an extra day's sea pay when a vessel leaves Auckland on a Sunday shall not apply to the sea-mpTS Waimarie. Taniwha, or Kanieri whilst engaged in their present trades, or to any vessels of the same character trading in substitution for ihe said vessels, lb) Clause 31 of the said agreement, dated Wellington January 24 1912, io be amended by scriking out the words from "steamers trading. . . ." to the "-.aid vp&sete."' and substituting the following: "Steam-

9. On the representatives of the steamship owners and Federated Sea-men's Union of Australasia agreeing to the foregoing teTms they shall im-mediately be submitted to the members of the said union for approval, and on ratification by them the members of the eaid union shall immediately return to employment in the ships (and subject to the provisions of clause 8 hereof), on the conditions prevailing prior to ceasing work,