AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN

Evening Star, Issue 19763, 13 January 1928, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN

SHIPS TO BE MANNED A STORMY MEETING. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. SYDNEY, January 12. A meeting of the Seamen’s Union, held to consider the situation, decided to man all ships pending a conference with the interstate owners, when the log will b© discussed. The meeting was very stormy, a large section of men demanding a prolongation of the dispute and the implication of all pingTHE OWNERS’ DECISION. A FIRM STAND. MELBOURNE, January 12. A meeting of the Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ Association resolved that unless the vessels in all ports now requiring part or full crews are manned on or before Monday next the association will renounce the present agreement, and all future engagements under the new articles will be on such conditions and terms as may be prescribed by the owners. The resolution was telegraphed to the general secretary of the Seamen’s Union. GENERAL RESUMPTION EXPECTED SYDNEY, January 12. Following the seamen’s meeting the crew of the Momba withdrew their notices. It is expected that seamen’s decision is merely a preliminary to a general resumption of work on all strike-affected vessels. A MISUNDERSTANDING. TERMS ON WHICH WORK TO BE RESUMED. SYDNEY, January 13. (Received January 13, at 10.30 a.m.) Soon after the seamen reached the decision to man all the ships, the cerws of the Momba and the Orungal, who yesterday' left the vessels, returned and signified their intention to remain at work. It is believed that there will be a general resumption. According to statements made by Mr Dillon, secretary of the Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ Federation, the seamen capitulated unconditionally. All loggings originally imposed will be enforced, hence the men who attended the stop-work meeting on December 28 will be logged for two days’ pay and the amount they would have been paid had they not attended the meeting will also be deducted. The owners previously expressed their willingness to compromise and to deduct only half a day’s pay if the seamen resumed immediately, but was not done, with the result that they forfeited the right of the benefit of the owners’ concession. Mr Johnson (Secreary of the Seamen’s Union, said that the seamen were going back to work on the understanding that the owners’ early offer to cancel the loggings held good. There is a misunderstanding of the terms on which work will be resumed. The ultimatum from the association was received by the union officials almost simultaneously with the decision to resume work. It is generally considered that had the ultimatum been received earlier and presented to the members of the union a different decision might have been reached.