SUGAR WORKERS’ TROUBLE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3293, 11 August 1911, Page 5

SUGAR WORKERS’ TROUBLE.

A WAGES BOARD AWARD.

WILL THE MEN ACCEPT P [UNITED PBEBB ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHTS BRISBANE, August 10. The Sugar Workers Wages Board at Mackay decided to grant a forty-eight hours’ week, instead 1 of sixty, and a thirty shillings minimum. It is not yet known whether the men will accept. Many favor holding out for recognition of the union. ACTING-PREMIER’S ATTITUDE. VEILED THREAT FROM LABOR. SYDNEY, August 10, Mr W. A. Holman, Acting-Premier in the New South Whies State Labor Government, said he thought the waterside workers would regard the pledge not to handle cargo touched by nonunionists as sacred. The shipping companies would welcome a way out of the difficulty. If they refuse to take sugar they would offend the merchants, and if they accept it the ships might be laid up. The secretary of the Labor Council declares that if forced there will be a bigger strike than in 1890. f ... TENSION SOMEWHAT RELAXED. REASSURING ADVICES FROM BRISBANE. (Received August 11, 1.2 oa.m.; SYDNEY, August 10. Tension in regard to the sugar workers’ strike has somewhat relaxed on the strength of advices from Brisbane, that the State Treasurer and the sugar mill owners have agreed to attend the conference asked for yesterday. The conference takes place at 4 p.m. to-morrow. A wire received from the secretary of the Waterside Workers Union who is attending the Brisbane conference, announcing that the conference has been arranged, asks the Sydney waterside workers not to stop working the general cargo vessels, as such action would have an important bearing on to-morrow’s conference. ANOTHER NOTE SOUNDED. LABOR’S SECRET DECISION. Despite the reassuring tone of the Brisbane advices, there is no cessation in the reparation for eventualities amongst Labor unions. It transpires that a secret conference to-day decided that all unionists should act simultaneously and not in sections in the event of to-morrow’s conference proving a futile one and trouble arising. A DIFFICULT POSITION. FURTHER TROUBLE MAY ENSUE. The price of sugar to-day advanced £1 per ton all round. The view expressed in Labor circles here is that the Queensland strikers are not likely to accept the Wages Board or its award, mentioned this morning, as the Board was promulgated by the (Free Laborers’ Union. Another difficulty in the way of settlement is that free laborers have been engaged to take the place of strikers, and the unionists are not likely to agree to work alongside them.