IDLE SHIPS

Evening Star, Issue 18999, 22 July 1925, Page 5

IDLE SHIPS

THE AUSTRALIAN STRIKE OWNERS AND MEN CONFER Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. Australian and X.Z. Press Association. MELBOURNE, July 21. The long-awaited conference between representatives of the shipowners and the disaffected maritime sat for about two hours, and then adjourned to a date to be fixed to enable the seamen to consider the terms. The owners demanded that job control should be abandoned, that the present system of engaging men should be abandoned, that fortnightly payments and stop-work meetings should bo abandoned, that men could be picked up at tho ship’s sides outside tho picking-up times at the marine office, and that a Conciliation Board should be appointed to sit in Melbourne to settle disputes—those objects to be achieved by altering certain clauses in tho old award. Other conditions were that an undertaking that the clauses of the altered award would lie observed should he inserted in the articles, and the rates of pay of tho old award should bo paid. The only outstanding points appear to be a desire on the part of the owners that they should be relieved from tho anxieties and uncertainties which have long hampered them through the tyrannies of job control, and on the part of the seamen that they should secure all the advantages which they enjoyed under the forfeited Arbitration Court award.

MR WALSH’S VIEWS

MELBOURNE, July 21. (Received July 22, at 1.30 a.m.) Mr T. Walsh said that tlie seamen would have counter-proposals to offer. Ho added that several of tlie terms submitted by the owners would not- in any circumstances be accepted by the men. He concluded by stating that they were quite prepared to relinquish job control, but they wanted the owners to relinquish a little of the control of their job, too. The Chairman said ho would adjourn the conference until he had heard from the seamen. The Federal Executive of the Seamen’s Union will meet on Wednesday to consider the matter. It is expected that an announcement will he made on Friday as to when the conference will meet again. AWAITING THE RESULT.

SYDNEY, July 21. All shipping activity is at. a standstill awaiting tlie result of the Melbourne conference, but the general opinion is expressed that nothing will bo known until the end of the week.

The transport group, although still prepared to guarantee the terms of the settlement agreed to hy the Commonwealth Shipping Board, has definitely withdrawn from the negotiations. MINING INDUSTRY AFFECTED, 12,000 MEN* OUT. SYDNEY, July 22. (Received July 22, at 10.20 a.m.) About 12,000 men engaged in the mining industry on the northern coalfields have, boon thrown out of work as the result of the shipping hold-np. It is likely that unless the trouble is soon settled that operations in the mining areas will bo brought to a complete standstill. Respecting the proposals for a. Stale, shipping service, the Premier (MV Lang) says that ho has had offers of numerous ships, adding that ample wharfage accommodation would be available for the Stale if it was needed. The Government was still in touch with tlie other Labor Administrations throughout the Commonwealth on the subject of Slafc-owned ships.