COOKS’ STRIKE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 19 May 1928, Page 5

COOKS’ STRIKE

OVERTURES FOR SETTLEMENT MEN’S INFORMAL NEGOTIATIONS THE OWNER’S REPLY. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —BY BLECTRIt TKLEG HA PH—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN PRESS ASSOCIATION'.; Received 10.45 a.m., to-day. SYDNEY, May 19. The Howard-Smith Collier, Eva, will be tied up to-day and the crew of 38 rendered idle due to the cooks ’ strike. I Mr. J. Tudehope, general .secretary of the cooks’ union returns to Sydney today and will attend a meeting of his union to report on the latest development in Melbourne. Mr. C. Crofts, chairman of the Australian council of Trades Union had an informal interview with Mr. W. Appleton, chairman of the Ship Owners’ Federation, upon the latter's return from Sydney, seeking to reopen negotiations for a sett.ement. Mr. Appleton replied that the tact that the unions had come to some sort of an agreement among themselves seemed bv them to be. regarded as a settlement of the strike, but the owners had not been consulted. He reminded Mr. Crofts that Huddarts had already lost £100,030, which was irrecoverable. whatever settlement vvas L reached. Terms on which the owners aie prepared to. settle have already been set forth and would be insisted upon, the owners demanded an aboli;ion of the- roster .system and decl-ned to give a guarantee of employment to members ot the cooks’ union under the conditions of tlie suspended award. .If Mr. Crofts would make a formal request for ii conference with the ship' owners, lie would place the application before them on Monday,” beyond that he would say nothing. NO SIGNS OF SETTLEMENT' YET. MEN'S REQUEST FOR CONFERENCE. fUNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—BY ELECTRO TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN PRESS ASSOCIATION.) MELBOURNE, May 18. The Australasian Council of, the Trades Union telephoned the Shipowners’ Association asking if the latter would grant a conference to discuss the cooks’ dispute, but were informed that nothing could be done in the matter until the chairman of the association, who is in Sydney, returned, when the request would be placed before him. Individual shipowners, however, point out that even if a conference were granted it could be taken a.s no great guarantee that peace is in sight, as the owners resent the telegram to Air. Tudehope. They made it quite clear that there could, he no settlement. unless the. men make a sincere move to man the ships and 1 agreed to abolish the roster system. If Air. Johnson’s following refuse to accept mediation by the Australasian Council of Trades Unions they will Ik? disciplined by the whole Labour movement.