WORK AND WAGES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 914, 6 September 1910, Page 5

WORK AND WAGES.

THE SEAMEN'S ULTIMATUM. By Teleerapn-Presa Association-Copyright. London, September 4.' Interviewed at South Shields with reference to the report that the International Transport .Workers' Federation had agreed to call an international shipping strike, Mr. J. Havelock Wilson, president of the! National Sailors' and Firemen's Union, who organised. the movement, said that meetings had been arranged at all the ports of Great Britain, the Continent, and Australia. At these meetings the men would bo asked if they were prepared to quit their ships at a given signal, in order to enforce the federation's demand for the establishment of a conciliation board. The meetings would be open to unionists and non-unionists. NO WORD IN AUSTRALIA. (Rec. September 6, 1.30 a.m.) Melbourne,. September 5. The officials of the Maritime Unions state that they have heard nothing from Mr. Havelock Wilson regarding his proposal to hold meetings in Australia. Sonator Guthrie, president of the Seamen's Union, says nothing official ■ has been received, and ho is inclined to discredit the report. SHIPBUILDING LOCK-OUT.; MASTERS IN DEAD EARNEST. ' \ London, September 4. boilermakers and 15,000 platers and rivet-heaters are locked out in the North of 'England and Scotland. < The masters declare themselves to be in dead earnest. : , A conference between the Shipbuilders' Federation and the men's representatives will be held next week, . , EARLY SETTLEMENT EXPECTED. (Rec. September 5, 9.35 p.m;) London, September 5. Of the employees of the Shipbuilding Employers' Federation, only one-third are affected by ; the lock-out, and . the remainder are in full employment, including the employees of the' Belfast' and' Thames firms, and five places -on the Clydo, who are able to subscribo to" the agreement. Tho Boilermakers' Association's assets amount to ,£135,000,' of which £20,000 is immediately available, but the rest, including 4284,000 in. the superannuation fund, will take sis months to realise. -The lock-out allowance will bo twelve shillings weekly. Tho employers do., not seek a financial guarantee, but state that work will not be resumed until satisfactory arrangements have bMn made, and assurances given with regard to the future, working..' "Tho Times" is of opinion that the increasing'briskness in the trade and the shortness of funds will bo in. favour of I a short strike. , . ''

MINERS' EIGHT-HOURS SYSTEM. ■ —' "■ • ■ / RESULTS REVIEWED. (Rec. September G, 0.10 a.m.) '\ London, September. 5. The "Financial. News," in reviewing the,results of the eight-hours system in mines,' states that there havo been . 2G per cent more fatal accidents in the past six months, as compared with the figures before the. Act'came into force. This, it says, is owing to'the scamping of Tepair works. Tho ,three shifts force tho.women to be continuously.preparing:meals, and owing to the ; men having, to. take more baths and change the,u: .clothes of toner many of the miners' earnings have been re-; duced by from five to seven shillings weokly. The consumers also pay sixpence "" to eightpenco per ton more for coai. THE BILBAO STRIKE. MANY IDLE AT SARAGOSSA. . ' . Madrid, September 4. The strike of miners and others at Bilbao, Spain, is collapsing.' There aire 35,000 persons idle at Saragossa. ; The.strike leaders have resolved that work shall be resumed, to-morrow. UEiNEUAL STRIKE ,AT BARCELONA. v (Rec. September 5, 11.5 p.m.) Madrid, September 5. .In sympathy with the. Bilbao strikers, the.Labour Solidarity Committee has ordered a general strike at Barcelona. • Members of the committee invaded tlie printing offices and forced tho stoppago of the newspapers, which are not nowappearing.' ANOTHER BIG STRIKE. . TEN THOUSAND MEN AFFECTED. (Rec. September G, 0.10 a.m.) London, September 5. . • The workmen employed by the Cambrian Combine in the'Rhondda Valley have resolved to throw idle two pits as a protest against the dismissal of another workman.: Another' pit has further resolved to strike without■,notice. '■>■. Ten thousand men are affected. The trouble is due to thousands of badly-paid quarrymen in North Wales moving south and refusing to join the unions. SOUTH AUSTRALIAN RAILWAY WORKERS. . Adelaide, September 5. The strikers on the railway works total 600.