COOKS’ DISPUTE

Grey River Argus, 21 May 1928, Page 5

COOKS’ DISPUTE

SHIPOWNERS ADAMANT No Conference Yet ('Received May 20 ar 5.5 p.m.) MELBOURNE, May 20. It is estimated that by Monday, the cooks’ strike will have cost half a million sterling. The Emergency Executives of the Australasian Council of Trades Unions and the Committee of the Maritime Unions have decided that the Australasian Council of Trades Unions shall be empowered immediately to seek a conference with the ship owners, and that the cooks be invited to attend the conference and to participate in all the future negotiations. The effect of the motion will be to put the cooks in the position either of accepting or rejecting mediation by the Australasian Council of Trades Unions, to which the Maritime Unions claim that • the dispute has now been officially referred. BOSSES KEPT GUESSING. MELBOURNE, May 20. Mr Appleton, the Chairman of the Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ Association, states that he sees no prospect of a settlement of the cooks dispute. The owners are now more determined than ever to stand firm. They insist on the abolition of job control and of the Roster system before making any move to recommission their idle- vessels. It stated that if the Australasian Council of Trades Unions asks the ship owners for a conference, the latter will question its authority to act, and will point out that conferences would be a waste of time unless the representatives are able to prove that they are in a position .to control the cooks. “TOO MANY COOKS.” JOCK GARDEN KNOCKED BACK. SYDNEY, May 20. The Marine Cooks did not hold a meeting which was called by Mr Jock Garden, Secretary of the Trades and Labour Council. Mr Tudehope (Secretary of the Cooks’ Union) stated that everyone seemed to be trying to run the cooks’ business. He was Secretary of the Cooks’ Union, and he would not hold the meeting. COOKS’ SOLIDARITY. OWNERS JUKE WISE. MELBOURNE, May 19. Mr. Tudehope, before leaving for Sydney, addressed a mass meeting of cooks, tracing the history of the dispute. Subsequently, he said that he still insisted on an extra man for the Ulimaroa’s galley. The meeting unanimously passed a resolution of confidence in Mr. Tudehope. SYDNEY. May 19.

The Howard Smith collier Eva, will be tied up to-dnv nn* tt>« crew of thirty-eight idled, due to the cooks’ strike.

Mr. J. Tudehope, general secretary of the Cooks’ Union returns to Sydney to-day, and will attend a meeting of his union to report on the latest developments in Melbourne.

Mr. C. Crofts, chairman, of the Australasian Council of Trades I nions. had an informal interview with Mr. W. T. Appleton, chairman of the Ship Owners’ Federation, upon the latter’s return from Sydney, seeking to reopen negotiations for a settlement. Mr. Appleton replied, the fact that Ihe unions had come to some sort of agreement among themselves seemed by them to be regarded as a settle uient of the strike, but the owners bad. not been consulted. He r< mined Mr. Crofts that Huddarts had already lost £lOO,OOO which is irrecoverable whatever settlement is reached. The terms whereon the owners are prepared to 1 , settle have already been set forth, and. “would be insisted upon. The owners demanded the abolition of the roster system, and declined to give a guarantee of employment to members of the Cooks’ Union under the conditions of the suspended award If Mr. Crofts would make « formal request for a conference with the ship owners, he would *place the application before them on Monday. Beyond that, he would say nothing.