AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN

Evening Star, Issue 22106, 13 August 1935, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN SEAMEN

“ BLACK " BAN CONTINUED WANGANELLA STILL DELAYED Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright SYDNEY, August 12. The seamen to-day reaffirmed their decision to maintain the “ black ” ban on Huddart, Parker ships until the Zealandia trouble has been adjusted and to extend the trouble if the men who offered first as pick-ups are not accepted because of unsatisfactory discharges. The ships now affected in Sydney are the Zealandia, Wanganella, Talune, and Mildura. The Wanganella consequently will not sail to-night, and Mr Forbes and the Maori footballers will be unable to sail until Thursday, when the Marama is due to leave for Wellington. To-day’s meeting gave a poor hearing to the moderates, but another meeting will be held to-morrow, when the result of the meetings at Melbourne and Newcastle will be discussed. More seamen should then be in port, and the moderates will make a determined effort to capture the meeting and defeat the extension plans.

4 • UNION PRESIDENT'S DECLARATION MELBOURNE. August 12. Defining the union’s attitude to the hold-up, Mr W. Clarke, Federal president of the Seamen’s Union, declared the seamen did not regard the issue as a strike. “ The ships are- idle as the result of a boycott by the owners following victimisation of men dismissed from the Murada,” he said. VICTORIAN SEAMEN MELBOURNE SUPPORTS SYDNEY. \ MELBOURNE, August 12. After a meeting which lasted till early this evening the Victorian seamen decided to support the Sydney strike decision and to use every effort “ to bring the strike to a successful conclusion.” The meeting was also attended by men from ships which reached port today. This means that more ships will be held up as they reach Melbourne. Extension to the Melbourne-Tasmania service is feared, as five men are expected to leave the Nairana on her arrival from Launceston to-morrow, and it is expected difficulty will be experienced in replacing them. This service has not been interrupted for many years.

OVERTIME CLAIM SYDNEY, August 12. The Federal Cabinet to-night considered the shipping hoJd-up and decided to take no action until the court has given a decision in the seamen’s overtime claim. The case is expected to be heard to-morrow. , CASE TAKEN TO COURT. „ SYDNEY, August 13. (Received August 13, at 1.45 p.m.) In the Central Summons Court tp-day the hearing was commenced of three claims totalling £1 3s 4d for overtime payments allegedly due because of the failure of the freighter Murada to leave Port Kembla on time on June 22. Counsel for the company disputed the right of the men to payment. The case is proceeding. • [This shipping dispute occurred, stated a recent Melbourne message, over £lO which the Seamen’s Union said should have been distributed among 25 members of the crew of the Murada as overtime and deferred sailing time pay. When the company refused to pay, the crew refused to obey orders, and were dismissed and given endorsed discharges. When a man presenting a Murada discharge certificate was rejected for employment in Sydney on the Zealandia this vessel was held up.]

EXTENSION OF TROUBLE FEARED COMPLETE PARALYSIS OF INTERSTATE SHIPPING LIKELY. SYDNEY, August 13. (Received August 13, at 10.5 a.in.) The Wauganella’s passengers have been asked to keep in touch with the company, which hopes to secure a crew to-day. The Orungal is due to sail to-day for Queensland, but seven of her crew have given notice, and no seamen are offering for the vacancies. So far six ships are held up and 478 men are out of work. Information from Melbourne indicates that the crews of four HuddartParker ships there—the Nairana, the Yarra, the Colae, and the Goulburn — have been instructed to give 24 hours’ notice. The ‘ Telegraph ’ expresses the opinion that complete paralysis of interstate shipping is likely, as both the shipowners and the seamen recognise the impossibility of confining the holdup to the Huddart-Parker Line if the dispute lasts a few more days. One decision of yesterday’s meeting which declares that the Murada men must be employed when vacancies occur on any ship is almost certain to cause an extension of the strike.