SEA COOKS’ STRIKE

Greymouth Evening Star, 26 May 1928, Page 8

SEA COOKS’ STRIKE

WATERSIDERS’ DECISION. (Australian Press Association.) (By Cable—Press Assn—Copyright.) * MELBOURNE, May 25. Although the merchants and exporters are anxious about their idle cargoes and heavy losses, they are not making any move at present to apply to the Federal Government for the suspension of the Navigation Act to relieve the position, as all sections desire a settlement of the cooks’ dispute without resorting to extreme measures.

Mr Tudehope (Secretary of the Cooks’ Union) has conferred with the Waterside Workers’ Federation, and a policy for the conduct of the dispute was decided on. It includes putting the onus on the owners of refusing a conference with the cooks and the watersiders, which organisations now claim to be both managing the dispute. If, as is expected, the shipowners refuse to grant such a conference, the watersiders and the cooks will leave it to the owners to directly extend the dispute and if more vessels are tied up, or the dispute is not settled within the next few days, the watersiders will throw in their lot with the cooks, thus directly extending the strike throughout Australia, and putting the onus on the other maritime Unions of joining in the strike. Unless the dispute is settled in the meantime, all of the inter-state passenger steamers, with the exception of those running between Melbourne and Tasmania, will be rendered idle next week. SETTLEMENT EXPECTED. MELBOURNE, May 25. Secret negotiations between the Cooks’ Union and the shipowners have commenced. The Union, officials state that these will probably result in a resumption of work next week.