SEA COOKS’ STRIKE

Greymouth Evening Star, 31 May 1928, Page 7

SEA COOKS’ STRIKE

T.U.C. AND UNION. (Australian Press Assn. —United Service.) (By Cable—Press Assn—Copyright.) MELBOURNE, May 30. At a conference to-day of the Australian Council of Trades Unions and the Maritime Unions associated with it. it was decided to ask the rank and file of the Cooks’ Union to place the dispute in their hands. It was also decided to ask the Sydney Trades Hall Council to summon a meeting of the Cooks’ Union to be addressed by members of the Australasian Council of Trades Unions and the Maritime Unions. The conference further decided to ask the Waterside Workers’ Federation to reappoint its delegates to the Australasian Council of Trade Unions, in order that a combined front might be presentd on the maritime dispute. Mr. Tudehope is being invited to cooperate, but it is realised that the decision is practically an attempt to get the members of the Cooks’ Union to recognise the authority of the Australasian. Council of Trades Unions to handle the dispute, and that if Mr. Tudehope stands in the way, the dis pute may bo taken out of his hands. SETTLEMENT IN SIGHT MELBOURNE, May 31. Mr. Tudehope had a private interview with Mr. W. T. Appleton. Interviewed later, Mr. Tudehope said that certain points were discussed, as the result of which several phases were clarified. He left for Sydney last night to attend a meeting of his union and will explain the outcome of this conversation some time to-day. Before leaving, Mr. Tudehope explained it was quite competent for the cooks at today’s meeting to accept the terms offered and declare the strike off. The steamer Ormiston is the only passenger vessel in commission on the Australian coast. It will not be laid up, but the Katoomba’s crew will be paid off to-day. The maritime unions calculation that about 8,350 men are directly or indirectly idle through the strike, and the loss of wages amounts to £38,000 weekly.