SEAMEN’S DISPUTE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 7 January 1928, Page 5

SEAMEN’S DISPUTE

SERIOUS DEVELOPMENT.

MAY BE EIGHT TO FINISH. MOT® STOPS HELD T t P. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION- -COPY aiGH 1 SYDNEY. .Tan. 0. A serious dovelapmcnt lias occurred in tlie seamen’s dispute. Eight, seamen of the intcr-'State liner Ormiston, which arrived from Melbourne to-day gave notice, and efforts to obtain men to fill their places proving abortive, the owners have given the remainder of the crew notice. The owners indefinitely postponed the sailing of the vessel. It is anticipated that the steamer Canberra, the crew of which is several firemen short, will be similarly affected. A meeting of the Seamen’s Union do. cided to resist the attempt of the owners to deprive the men of time-off to attend stop-work meetings.

The dispute may now develop into a fight to a finish betw'een the men and the owners.

UNION TACTICS DEPLORED. Received 11.30 a.m. to-day. MELBOURNE, Jan. 7. The Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ Federation in a statement regarding the seamen’s' dispute says: the difficulty which has been*created: in connection with tlie stop-work meeting is only a part of the whole' system of militant tactics which arc being employed' by certain officials of the Seamen’s Union and. other maritime, unions: r with a reckless disregard of the consequences. “The question is not merely that of one seaman being absent without leave fora, few hours, but is one of certain officials of the union pursuing their destructive tactics and. ordering the rank and file to defy the masters of steamers and owners and to break the agreement and articles they signed without any regard to the disastrous consequences to the men themselves, the public and the industry, ” continues the statement. “It is quite obvious that such action is subversive of all discipline and that no industry can be maintained while such conduct is tolerated.

“The shipowners are making, and have made, strong efforts to put n stop to this iob control. They feel tliev ean confidently look to the public and the Press to support them strongly in the stand they are making, not only in the- interests of the industry, hut also of the community which it serves. It is to he regretted that on such an occasion their action has been unsuccessful owing to outside interference from' isoyroes to which they might reasonable have looked for the strongest support in any effort to uphold law and order.”