THREATENED STRIKE OF MARINE ENGINEERS.

Evening Post, Volume LIII, Issue 1, 2 January 1897, Page 5

THREATENED STRIKE OF MARINE ENGINEERS.

THE AUSTRALIAN INTERCOLONIAL SERVICE INVOLVED. [PBESS ASSOCIATION.] Melboubne, Ist January. A shipping strike of a serious character is threatened in connection with the whole of the intercolonial steamers, the engineers having made certain demands upon the owners, with an ultimatum that if these are not granted the agreement under which they are at present working will terminate to-day. The owners have conceded all the important demands, but decline to grant the whole of them till the engineers have withdrawn the notice of cancellation of their present agreement. Later. Within the last few months, the engineers raised the question as to the pay of engineers on steamers owned in England, and over which the charterers have no control. The demand was made that the engineers of these steamers should be paid the same rate as is prrfvided for in the agreement under which the engineers of local steamers work. , jj. A letter also forwarded by the Engineers' Association to the owners demanded a return to the rates of pay which prevailed in 1890, requesting that steamers, of 200 horse-power and over, running a distance of 400 miles between the terminal ports, should carry four engineers, and have a greaser on each watch ; further, that all shipping articles in the coastal and inter- . colonial trade must contain a 24 hours' notice clause for home ports. The owners replied that they could not accept the engineers' reasons for terminating the agreement on the Ist Januarj', but were prepared to confer with representatives of the engineers on the whole question, provided that the notice was withdrawn. The engineers stated that they would only withdraw the cancellation notice subject to all their present demands being granted as from the Ist January, further demands to be the subject of a conference. ■"■ (Received January 2, 10.10 a,-m.) Melbourne. This Day. T-tfere is n« change in connection with the threatened'slrike of engineers. The Engineers' Association has carried a resolution that no member will be> allow©'' to start in any steamy with Melbqur articles from to-day. • , ,3, 3 The Bay excursion steamers wjll ■ » supplied with engineers till the- return 1 trij. on Sunday. ' v