GENERAL STRIKE AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 135, 4 December 1935, Page 11

GENERAL STRIKE

AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING

SEAJEEN'S DISPUTE

COMPLETE DISLOCATION

FEARS OF SPREADING

Onlted Press Association—By Electric Tele-

graph—Copyright.

SYDNEY, December 3. A general maritime strike, with a complete dislocation of Australian shipping, has begun. Mass meetings of seamen at Sydney and Melbourne today overwhelmingly rejected the new award.

Sydney seamen heavily defeated a motion by the general secretary, Mr. Jacob Johnson, that the award should be accepted pending the holding of a plebiscite for the acceptance or rejection of the award.

Over a thousand men attended a stop-work meeting in the basement of the Sydney Town HalL The discussion at times was extremely acrimonious. Officials, anxious for peace, impressed on the men that the new award had many advantages not hitherto enjoyed, but they were repeatedly howled down. "A VICIOUS ATTACK." The seamen's resolution described the Court's award as a "vicious attack on the conditions of men," instructed all members of the union to give 24 hours' notice, and expressed the willingness of the union to negotiate direct with the ship owners, on the basis of the old award, for a shorter working week, and upon the improvements contained in the new award.

Fears are now expressed that the waterside workers, whose award is due for revision, may join the seamen. The Niagara, which arrived yesterday, made a call fo"r wharf labourers today, but no. men responded.

Among passenger ships listed to sail this afternoon whose departure is now indefinite are: The Wanganella for Auckland, the Canberra for Melbourne and Adelaide, and the Manunda for Cairns and ports. Hundreds of passengers will have to find other means of transport, involving serious inconvenience and loss of time and money.

IF COASTAL SHIPS ARE INVOLVED.

Should the dispute cover the 105 vessels engaged in the coastal trade, it is estimated that 4000 seamen, in addition to thousands of wharf labourers, stewards, tally clerks, and carters, will be rendered idle.

Shipping companies report that at least "5000 persons had booked for pleasure cruises and coastal trips betweea now and January.

The Taiping. sailing today, received a permit to, carry passengers for Melbourne.

The Niagara has been moved from her ordinary berth to Cockatoo Dock with her cargo still aboard.