BRITISH SHIPBUILDING TRADE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17414, 27 March 1922, Page 7

BRITISH SHIPBUILDING TRADE.

EMPLOYERS' TERMS REJECTED. (By Ci.bl»—Pr«s» AMOoUAioo—Oopyrifcbt-) (Amtnliaa atad N.&. Oabto AMociation. 1 . (Received March 26th, 6.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 24. Tlie shipbuilding engineering trades ballot rejected the employers' terms by 16,1,709 yotes to 49,603. The Shipbuilding Engineering Federation decided to adviso alt affiliated members to cease work on Tuesday until the result of the ballot on the bonus "cut" is known. Later. Negotiations in connexion with the shipbuilding engineering dispute will be resumed on Monday. SITUATION MORE HOPEFUL. (Received March 35th, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 25The situation is more hopeful. The employers and the unions have agreed to resume negotiations on Monday. The lock-out notices will probably be withdrawn while the negotiations are being proceeded with. Negotiations have been proceeding for nearly three months between tho Shipbuilding Employers' Federation an J the shipbuilding trade unions regarding the former's proposal to (withdraw the cost of living; bonus granted during the war, amounting to 26s 6d n, week. On March l7tih it was reported that the men's lenders had rejected a proposal to ait the bonus by 10s 6d a week now, and by a further 6s on March 29th, leaving the remaining 10s in abeyance. At a conference in February the employers submitted a memorandum which showed that of the shipbuilding berths ,of tho country only 28 per cent, were occupied with dhips upon which work was proceeding, 16 per cent, with ehipis upon which work had either been suapended or completely cancelled, while 56 per cent, of the building berths were standing idle. Shipbuilders had been endeavouring to book new contracts without a penny of profit, and in many cases even with a considerable loss on establishment charges. The discontinuance of tike war bonus, it wag maintained, would go soma way tn restore employment and increase the total wages payable.