SEAMEN TO REVIEW STRIKE DECISIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 288, 5 December 1935, Page 7

SEAMEN TO REVIEW STRIKE DECISIONS.

MEETINGS FRIDAY.

Motions That Men Return to

Work Ships.

NEGOTIATE ON NEW AWARD. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 51.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, this day. Special meetings of the Seamen's Union will be held throughout Australia on Fiiday morning to discuss the Prime Minister's ultimatum to apply the terms of the Transport Workers' Act unless the men resume work. Motions will be submitted recommending that the men return to work and that application be made to the Arbitration Court for a variation of the new award.

A large section of the men dread the possibility of being brought under the Transport Workers' Act, which disciplined the waterside workers in all ports excepting Sydney, to which the Act so far does not apply. The Patrick steamer Cardross sailed last night with a volunteer crew. As the result of representations made by the Federal Labour leader, Mr. J. Curtin, and the New South Wales Labour leader, Mr. J. A. Beasley, the Prime Minister, Mr. J. A. Lyons, agreed postpone until after Friday's meetings *f seamen the threatened application of the Transport Workers' Act to the ttrikers. Mr. Lyons emphasised that the Government is anxious to secure an early settlement of the strike and is reluctant to prejudice any attempts now in progress to end the dispute. However, the Government is determined that the strike shall not be allowed to continue beyond the present week. The marine cooks, bakers and butchers decided yesterday to stand by the seamen.

Shipowners generally welcome the prompt action of the Federal Government. They think the introduction of the licensing system would make for the smooth working of the industry. If Seamen are compelled to become licensed they can be properly controlled and Strikes and threats of violence and intimidation can be reduced to a minimum.

The Australian Steam Ship Owners' Federation has refused the request of the Seamen's Union for e Qonference to discuss the strike. The owners take the view that they have no dispute with the seamen, whose quarrel is with the Arbitration Court.

An emergency meeting of the Council bf Trades Unions has been convened for to-morrow to discuss the Government's Ultimatum and other developments.

REPERCUSSIONS.

Miners and Motor Car Workers

Thrown Idle.

TASMANIA'S OFFER. (Received 12.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, this day. The shipping dispute has already affected the northern coalfields, where three mines in the Cessnock district are now idle, and unless the hold-up is speedily ended about 10,000 miners will be thrown out. A Launceston message says that to maintain the Tasmanian lines, the Labour Government has made an offer to the Seamen's Union in Melbourne to pay the difference in wages represented by the new and the old awards if the seamen manned two vessels and maintained the Bass Straits services.

An Adelaide dispatch says that the manager of a big motor works has announced that because of the shipping strike the firm has been forced to ease up its production and to ration the staff. One thousand hands will be put off today, and should the dispute continue 4500 men will be affected.

CONNECTION MISSED

MAHS FOR BRITAIN.

No letters posted at Auckland since Monday last will reach England before Christmas, owing to the interruption of trans-Tasman services consequent on the Australian seamen's strike.

The last mail from this side of the world that will reach England before Christmas is that which will be dispatched by air from Sydney at 6.30 p.m. next Tuesday and is due at London on December 23. All such air mail letters, together with mails for Australian States and Eastern countries, that had been posted before the southern mail dosed on Monday, were dispatched by the Limited that night for Wellington and there placed aboard the American steamer Golden Coast, which left on I'uesday for Australia in continuation of lier voyage from Los Angeles.

The next mail to Australia from Auckland will be dispatched by the Union Company's steamer Waitaki. which arrived from Port Stephen on Tuesday and sails for Newcastle at noon on Saturday. According to her original schedule she was to sail for Newcastle at 5 p.m. to-day. Had she done so, she would, unless delayed by adverse weather, have reached Newcastle by noon next Tuesday and then letters sent by her would have connected with the air mail for Great Britain, leaving Sydney at 6.30 p.m. the same day.

The Waitaki will still take mails for Australia, China, Japan, Straits Settlements and South Africa, but the next air mail for Great Britain and Ireland by the Australia-Singapore-England air mail service will be dispatched by the ilonowai from Auckland on December 13 and is due at London on December 30. The next direct mail to Great Britain and Ireland, closing to-morrow for dispatch by the Port Hunter, ia not due at London until January 9.