THE SHIPPING HOLD-UP.

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 19, 22 July 1925, Page 5

THE SHIPPING HOLD-UP.

MELBOURNE CONFERENCE

WORK

JOB .CONTROL THE CHIEF;

QUESTION

(CNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPTRIOHT.j;

MELBOURNE, 21st July.

The long-awaited conference between representatives of the shipowners and the disaffected maritime unions, eat for about two hours, and then adjourned to a date to be fixed, enable the Beamen to consider the owners' terms.

The owners demanded that "job con--fcrol" be abandoned; that the present system of engaging «men be abandoned ; that fortnightly payments and stop-work meetings be abandoned; that men bo picked up at the ships' sides outside picking-up times at the marine office; and that a conciliation board be appointed to sit in Melbourne to settle disputes; these objects to be achieved by altering certain clauses in the old award and undertaking that the clauses of the altered award to be observed will be inserted in articles, and that the rates of pay of i the old award be paid. THE OUTSTANDING POINTS The only outstanding points appear to be a desire on the part of the owners that they shall be relieved from the anx-. ieties and uncertainties which have long hampered them through the tyrannies of "job control," and on the part of the seamen that they shall secure all the advantages they enjoyed under the forfeited Arbitration Court award.

Mr. Walsh said the seamen would have counter-proposals to offer. He added that several portions' of the owners' terms would not in any circumstances be accepted by the men; He concluded by saying they were quite prepared to relinquish "job control," but they wanted the owners to relinquish a little control of their job too.

The chairman said he would adjourn the conference until he heard from the seamen.

The Federal executive of the Seamen'? Union will meet on Wednesday to consider the matter. It is expected that an announcement will be made on Friday as to when the conference will meet again.