A HITCH

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 28 January 1925, Page 5

A HITCH

IN STRIKE SETTLEMENT. OVER SIGNING ON. IRRITATION TACTICS BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. (Received Jan. 28, 10.10 a.in.) SYDNEY, Jan. 28. A hitch has occurred in the signing on ol crews for various vessels, but it is not expected to prejudice the settlement of the trouble. By two o’clock, the hour lixed by the court, about 800 men were in attendance within and about the office. So great was the crowd that it was impossible for officials seeking crews to pick them without l) e ing rushed by waiting men. Accordingly the picking lip was carried out among the crews as quietly as possible. Crews for eight vessels were picked up, and the signing on of these men provoked the trouble. Although the award lays down the hours of picking up as between two and three in the afternoon, it places no restrictions upon the time of signing on, which is. invariably within office hours. The men, however, placed an interpretation upon the award that the signing on must be completed at three. Accordingly all tried to crush into the . building at once. Everything was hampered, and as a result the men adjourned to a nearby hill, where a member of the executive addressed them.

He asserted that picking up, according to the award, must be done in the shipping master’s office, not in thoroughfares nearby. He also told the men that the inadequacy of accommodation for signing on would have to be considered by the executive. He advised all those picked up not to sign on before nine in the morning, pending consideration of th® position. The result, was that only one vessel obtained a crew.

The move is taken as a demonstration of the fact that the seamen will take every irritation point within the award to impress the court with their dissatisfaction. The Ulimaroa is to be manned and dispatched to New Zealand on .Friday, STRUGGLE BETWEEN WATEBSIDERS. SYDNEY, Jan. 28. With the apparent settlement of the seamen’s strike and the return to the port of normal working conditions, the struggle between the Watersiders’ Federation and the Returned Soldiers’ Watersiders’ Exchange will be actively renewed. The management committee of the federation arrived from Melbourne to take charge of the matter, i It will meet the general body of men at a stop-work meeting during the morning. IDLE SHIPS TO BE MANNED. MEN OBSERVE COURT’S AWARD. SYDNEY, Jan. 27. A mass meeting of the Seamen’s Union decided to observe the Federal Arbitraion Court’s award and to go to the marine shipping office to be picked up. There was such a crush at the office after the decision was reached that the masters were unable to engage crews. All the idle ships will be manned on Wednesdav. BRISBANE, Jan. 27. The seamen have commenced ' manning the idle ships. MELBOURNE, Jan. 27. A meeting of seamen decided to abide by the Arbitration Court’s awards, and have commenced manning vessels.