SEAMEN’S STRIKE

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 80, 28 December 1935, Page 11

SEAMEN’S STRIKE

New Union Secretary at Sydney POSITION OF AQRANGI (Received December 27. 5.45 p.m.) Sydney, December 27. A special meeting of the Seamen’s Union to-day “recalled” Mr. Jacob Johnson from his office as general secretary and appointed the militant strike leader, Mr. Joseph Keenan, to the position pending the result of the ballot for office-bearers to be announced in January. The strike committee is arranging the distribution of food and relief to married seamen. The men cannot obtain food and relief through Government channels unless they can show they are genuinely unemployed. Although there is little doubt that the crew of the Aorangi will give notice upon her arrival to-morrow, the owners do not anticipate much difficulty in obtaining a volunteer crew to enable the vessel to sail for Vancouver on January 2. The Tasmanian Premier, Mr. Ogilvie, who is a Labourite, declared that the strike had caused serious loss to Tasmania, which was looking forward to record tourist traffic. His State was always a heavy loser when transport services with the mainland were dislocated. He advocates a Common-wealth-owned shipping service for Tasmania, manned with crews enjoying the same conditions as employees in the Public Service.

COMMISSION . ACTS

Summonses Issued Against Union (Received December 28, 1.45 a.m.) Sydney, December 27. Summonses have been issued by the Industrial Commission against the Seamen’s Union calling upon it to show cause why its registration as an industrial union should not be cancelled, also to show cause why the preference clause in the colliers’ State award should not be rescinded. The summonses, which are returnable on January 7, arise out of the strike of the crews of the colliers. .