THE SHIPPING TROUBLE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17617, 21 November 1922, Page 9

THE SHIPPING TROUBLE.

MEN OFFERING UNDER TERMS OF AWARD. STATEMENT BY SHIPOWNERS' FEDERATION. • (FBES.4 ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, November 20. ' llio following statement from the Shipowners' Federation was made to day. Before the shipping strike became general, the executive of the Seamen's Union had an interview with the represenatives of the shipowners, and suggested that the shipowners should agree, with the object of averting a general stoppage, to re-execute the Jl'L-O agreement, in lieu of the Arbitration Court's award- The suggestion was not accepted and the union was informed that the award must be given effect to. This meeting was held on Tuesday, November vtu. On .Friday, Novemoer 10th, following a stop-work meeting of seamen, the crews of all the vessels in Wellington gave notice and' similar action was taken at other ports. Since then no communcation has been received from the Seamen's Union either by the Shipowners' Federation or by any individual shipping company. Many union men have offered themselves for engagement under the terms of the award this morning, both in Wellington and at the other ports, but the shipowners are not prepared to engage any union men until such time as the executive of the union approaches the owners and offers some satisfactory guarantee that during the currency'of the award there will be ."■ o further stoppage ■of work, and that any dispute that may arise shall te dealt with in the manner provided for in the award.

AUCKLAND SEAMEN OFFER TO RESUME.

STIPULATION AGAINST FBEE LABOUR. (PKESS ASSOCIATION TELEGBAM.) AUCKLAND, November 20. J At a meeting held to-day the seamen .decided, by an overwhelming majority, to resume work. Subsequently, ihey went" in a body 400 strong to the Government shipping office and offered their services on vessels that did not have tree labour. Another stipulation" was that all seamen signing on should produce bona fide certificates and;their union membership, books fully paid up. The marine superintendent replied that he would report to the Marine Department and the local shipowners. The owners subsequently reported the position to the Shipowners' Federation. Some of the seamen visited, vessels and interviewed the captain or the chief engineer. They were told that no~ orders had been rec'eived to take men back. Meantime the shipowners are manning ships where possible with volunteer labour.

The Waipori will be put into commission at once. The Navua leaves tonight for the western PaciSc and the Kurow to-morrow for the south.

POSITION IN DtTNEDDT.

'(SPMIAIi 30 U THK TBESS."])

DUNEDIN, November 20. There was_no hitch of any description on ■ the waterfront to-day. The watersiders finished discharging the Katoa about, midday and the vessel •sailed this afternoon for Bluff." Several .gangs are now engaged in loading the K.ini J( and this vessel having sdso secured a free labour crew, is to sail, io-night for Gisborne and Napier via ports. Enquiry'at the Labour Bureau elicited the fapt.that there are still a large number of men offering to man the ships. Many of, these have ihad sea experience. i ~, . The coastal steamer Rama, which secured a crew at Wellington od. Thursday lost, reached Dunedin early this morning. No difficulty was experienced in securing waterside labour to discharge anci.:load-the vessel. The Kamo, which sailed on Saturday night for the Chatham Islands, took thirty passengers, who previously had gone toLytteltori to catch the Tutanekai, but who had to mako a return journey.