THE SEAMEN'S CALL-OFF.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 303, 20 December 1913, Page 8

THE SEAMEN'S CALL-OFF.

CONDITIONS AS THEY WERE. AGREEMENT FOR THREE YEARS. Now that a collapse of the strike appears to lie inevitable, a general review of the happenings of the pa=t month or two may be of interest. It has been admitted that the continuance of the strike for several weeks past has hinged entirely on the stand taken up by the seamen and the miners. The waterside workers and the carters, considered as bodies of men supplying the demands of the labour market, have been replaced, if not entirely, at least more or less adequately. far as information is at present available, there does not appear to be any evidence that the action taken by the seamen's delegates in Wellington yesterday was conditional upon any compromise regarding the status of the waterside workers and the miners who are still on strike. The seamen in Auckland have no information on the point, and tbe officials of the Central Strike Committee are equally in the dark. The general feeling among labour men is that the seamen have withdrawn from the strike, aud that there appears to be nothing left but to await a general settling down of conditions until a condition of normal is regained. it may be taken for granted that the decision arrived at by the seamen's delegates in conference in Wellington will be endorsed by the seamen in Auckland. The matter was not received with enthusiasm thi>- morning—rather the < ontrary—and it was decided lo defer further consideration until the returu of the Auckland delegates to make a personal report. Even assuming that the men arc dissatisfied with the terms ot the settlement, it is inconceivable that a powerful organisation like the Federated Seamen's Union of Xew Zealand should ''go back" on an agreement entered into by its accredited representatives, acting with full authority from the different branches of the union. The decision to register the branches under the Arbitration Act does not affect Auckland, where the branch is already registered under the Arbitration Act. It is not anticipated that there will lie any difficulty in Auckland with resrard to the new Seamen's Union. The men will be free to choose, and the position will quickly and peacefully right itself. TWO MONTHS OF STRIKE. PRODUCES 13 KEW ONIONS. On tbe 22nd October the miners at Eluntly went on strike because of the refusal of tlie Taupiri Coal Mines. Ltd.. to reinstate sixteen men who had been di-missed. A few days hefore ihat there was trouble in Wellington with the shipwrights (who are a section of the Waterside Workers' Union in that city) over the matter of the refusal of the Union Company to pay them travelling time. Negotiations for settlement failed, complications regarding stop-work meetings ensued, aud a few days after the commencement of the Hnntly strike there was a general waterside workers' strike in Wellington.

Now that a collapse of the strike appears to lie inevitable, a general review of the happenings of the past month or two may be of interest. It has been admitted that the e-ontinuance of the strike for several weeks past has hinged entirely on the stand taken up by the seamen and the miners. The waterside workers and tho carters, considered as bodies of men supplying the demands of the labour market, have been replaced, if not entirely, at least more or less adequately. So far as information is at present available, there does not appear to he any evidence that the action taken by the seamen's delegates in Wellington yesterday was conditional upon any compromise regarding the status of the waterside workers and the miners who are still on strike. The seamen in Auckland have no information on the point, and the officials of the Central Strike Committee are equally in the dark. The general feeling among labour men is that the seamen have withdrawn from the strike, and that there appears to be nothing left but to await a general settling down of conditions until a condition of normal is regained. it may be taken for granted that the decision arrived at by the seamen's delegates in conference in Wellington will be endorsed by the seamen in Auckland. The matter was not rec-eived with enthusiasm this morning—rather the contrary—and it was decided to defer further consideration until the rcturu of the Auckland delegates to make a personal report Even assuming thai the men are dissatisfied with the terms ot the settlement, it is inconceivable that a powerful organisation like the Federated Seamen's Union of New Zealand should "go back" on an agreement entered into by its accredited representatives, acting with full authority from the different branches of the union. The decision to register the branches under the Arbitration Act does nol afTecT Auckland, where the branch is alrcadv registered under the Arbitration Act. It is not anticipated that there will be any difficulty in Auckland with resranl to the new Seamen's Union. The men will lie free to choose, and the position will quickly and peacefully right itself. TWO MONTHS OF STRIKE. PRODUCES I.") NEW UNIONS. On the 22nd October the miners at Eltuitly went on strike because of the refusal of the Taupiri Coal Mines. Ltd.. to reinstate -ixteen men who had been di-mi-sed. A few days hefore that there was trouble in Wellington with the shipwrights (who are a section of the Waterside Workers' Union in that city) over the matter of the refusal of the Union Company to pay them travelling time. Negotiations for settlement failed, complications regarding stop-work meetings ensued, aud a few days after the commencement of the Hntitly strike there was a general waterside workers' strike in Wellington. On 2Sth October the waterside workers in Auckland refused to handle coal that was believed to be intended for distribution to the detriment of the cause of the Huntly miners. The following day the whole of the waterside workers were on strike, and within the next few days all the e-oalmuiers of New Zealand and most of the waterside workers were on strike. Negotiations lor settlement in Auckland (in Huntly and on the waterfront) were held up by a request from Wellington that local "settlement be not effected pending Dominion settlement. When the Dominion negotiations failed the Auckland situation was just about out of hand. On Saturday. Bth November, when tbe special constables took charge of the Auckland waterfront, a gmeral strike was declared in Auckland, and was sustained more or less completely for a fortnight. The general strike, which had begun to weaken considerably, was called off officially at the end of that period, and the strike was confined to miners and transport workers generally. Australia declared an embargo on New Zealand, and the shipping service between the two States has been irregular ever since. The seamen admittedly held the key of the position. Their withdrawal opens the door for competition that must inevitably make the strike position untenable. During the strike period the following new unions have been registered: — Wellington Wharf Labourers' Union, Wellington Carters and Motor Vehicles Drivers' Union. Auckland Waterside Workers' Union. Auckland City Licensed Hotel Assistants' Union. Auckland Seamen and Firemen's Union, Onehunga Waterside Workers' Union, Auckland Horse Drivers' Union. Taupiri Coal Mine Workers' Union, New Plymouth Waterside Workers' Union, Nelson Port Wharf Labourers' Union. Greymoutli Port Waterside Workers' Union. Christchurch Horse and Commercial Motor Drivers' Cnion, Lyttelton Wharf Labourers' Union! Oamaru Wharf Labourers' Union, Dunedin Waterside Workers' Union, and Wellington Ship Tally Clerks' Union. THE UNION BONUS. (Ky Telegraph.—Press Association.) DUNEDIN, this day. It is stated that the bonus given by the Union Company to its officers means an outlay of £20,000.