LABOUR'S DEMANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 71, 24 March 1919, Page 5

LABOUR'S DEMANDS.

RAILWAYMEN AND MINERS.

OFFER NOT ACCEPTED.

FULL PROGRAMME WANTED. LONDON, March 23. Miner?, raihvaynicn, and transport workers conferred with members of Cabinet. The railwaymen later reported to their conference, declaring that the situation was most grave. It, is reported that t lie railwaymen have refused an oiler of wages costing i!IO,OUO,(K)il annually, and that they insist on demands totalling £120,000,000. The railway men's leaders have rejected the Government's offer to guarantee the war rate of wages lor the whole of lOlil.

A meeting of railwaymens delegates held in London to-night rcKolved that they were not prepared, without a strike, to accept less than the full demands contained in the national programme.- The resolution will come before a mass meeting in London on Sunday. Sir Robert Home, Minister for Labour. Sir Albert Stanley, President of the Board of Trade, and Sir Auckland Geddes, Minister for Reconstruction, held a conference with the railwaymen. The negotiations lasted several days, but no result has been announced. The conference will be resumed on Sunday. Mr. J. 11. Roberts, M.P. for Derby", and general secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen, while emphasising the gravity of the situation, states that neither side will leave anything undone to avert a strike. The triple alliance decided to approach the Government with a view to removing the railway deadlock. Meanwhile it has requested the railwaymen to remain at work pending the further decision of the alliance. Cabinet is considering the developments to-day. The Miners' Conference has adjourned till Wednesday. Jt was resolved to postpone the strike, pending further negotiations fur modifications of the commission's report. The miner.-.' executive conferred with Mr. Bonar Law for f>o minutes. The conference was adjourned till Tuesday.

The miners' meeting in the Central Hall was attended by 150 delegates. Sharp division of opinion on the proposed acceptance of the terms was e\ ident.

It understood that the miners are urging a compromise of an advance of 2/0, retrospective to January 0, on a basis of six shifts, with the unconditional establishment of a six hours day in July, ]<>2o:

The newspapers anticipate that the postponement of the miners' strike foreshadows an early settlement. The raildaymen's decision does not imply that negotiations have ceased. In view of the triple alliance's attitude, counsels of moderation are likely to prevail.— (A and N.Z. Cable.) GOING FAVOURABLY. SIR ROBERT HORNE'S VIEW. 'Received 0.20 a.m.}' LONDON, March 23. Sir Robert Home, Minister for Labour, interviewed after the Railway Conference, said that he considered" that the negotiations were going favourably. He could not believe that after four years of war the country would be plunged into a new industrial war. That was unthinkable.—(A. and N.Z. Cable.)