THE SHIPPING DEADLOCK.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 295, 13 December 1922, Page 10

THE SHIPPING DEADLOCK.

FAILURE OF CONFERENCE. i | T'XIOX LEADERS WITHDRAW. i SHIPOWNERS' CONDITION'S. ! ACCEPTED AS ULTIMATUM. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. A conference between the executive council of the Seamen's Federation and representatives of the shipowners was held yesterday. Mr. T. O. Bishop! on behalf of the shipowners, said they had jno desire to increase the difficulties of | the past three weeks, but it .\as desired to place the facts in connection with the | dispute clearly before the public. He (then made the following statement:-— ! Before the meeting about the begin i ning of Xovember, tlie crews <>f certain I vessels at Auckland and Lyttelton gave I notice of their intention to leave their i employment, and made it dear to their 'employers that the reason for their action j was dissatisfaction with the Arbitration | Court's award. On November 7 the posi I tion was discussed by representatives of | the ■hipping companies and of the i Federated Seamen's Cnion. but no solution of the trouble was discovered, as the shipping companies were determined to uphold the award. The union asked that the 11(2(1 agreement be substituted for the award. Following upon this discussion, the 'crews of all other ships under Xew Y.eti- ! land articles .-eased work as tbeir vessels .arrived at their home ports. The shipping companies were then faced with only two alternatives—either to allow all the ships to remain idle or to obtain other labour. They adopted the second alternative, and were able to man their vessels and maintain their services. OFFER TO RESUME WORK. On Xovember 20 some of the seamen who had left their ships signified their willingness to return to work, but, for reasons set out in my letter of November 29. the shipowners were not prepared to re-engage these men without some official assurance from the Seamen's l T nion ♦■tint the trouble was at an end. and that the award of the Court would be accepted. The shipowners' decision in this matter waa conveyed to Mr. Young by a letter dated Xovember 24. and, bad the a.-sui-ance asked for being given by the union about that. date, tbe trouble might have been settled. But, for reasons whicli have not been made known to us, the union has deferred taking any action until now. This delay has had an important, effect upon the situation, because, during the last two weeks, the number of qualified seamen and firemen in the ships now running has been largely increased. The services of these men will not be dispensed with while they continue to give satisfactory service. PRESENT CREWS TO RETAIN" JOBS. Therefore, all that shipowners can now offer is that, on receipt of an official assurance from the union that tbe Arbitration Court's award will be accepted. they will engage members of the union for work on ships as vacancies occur. Further, before agreeing to do this, they will require an assurance from the union that the crews of all ships on Xew Zealand articles now held up in Australian ports shall be available as they are required. Mr. W. T. Young, secretary of the Seamen's Union, said the union was not prepared to give any assurance whatever regarding the Court's award lie considered the statement to be in the nature of an ultimatum, and precluded further discussion. Mr. Bishop said such was not the intention of the shipowners, who were still prepared to discuss the nature of the assurance which they requested, as well as other necessary matters. The statement was prepared, not to preclude discussion, but so that all present might understand the position.' The seamen's representatives then withdrew, and the matter remains unsettled.