COOKS’ STRIKE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 23 May 1928, Page 7

COOKS’ STRIKE

REQUEST FOR CONFERENCE.

OWNERS AGREEABLE. a FIRST ONE FAILS. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION—BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH —COPYRIGHT.) (AUSTRALIAN PRESS ASSOCIATIONMELBOURNE. May ‘22. The cooks’ conference discussed the position for an hour and a 'half, but nothin £ in the direction of a settlement was achieved. The owners .stood firmly by the terms already cabled. The unions’ committees met to-day to discuss the outcome, of the conference ■and to. decide on their next move. Meanwhile hundreds of men opposed to the strike are .idle and helpless. The Trades Union Council is unable to obtain replies to its messages to Mr Tudehope, who is recalcitrant and lias declined to allow his union to be represented at the confeience with the shipowners. The de.pu'cy-oh airman of the Commonwealth Steamship Owners’ Association, Mr Elford. stated that there was a full and free dScuission by the conference, and the shipowners pointed' ouit to the Trades Union 1 epresenitatives' £h at the offer tipsy had made to the cocks lacked nothing they enjoyed under tlie former award. Mr Jacob Johnson, secretary of the Australian Seamen’s Union, who has returned to Sydney, declared that the Council of Trade Unions were a lot of bushrangers who were taking part in the dispute without the cook’s" authority. while some of the Melbourne officials appeared to be willing tools of the shipowners.

COOKS TO ASK FOR CONFERENCE

COUNCIL’S INTERVENTION REPUDIATED.

SYDNEY, May 22. Mr. Tudehope, secretary of the Marine Cooks’ Union, states that the union is now going to endeavour to convene a conference with the owners to discuss the proposed terms of settlement. Mr. Tudehope strongly defended tne action of the cooks yesterday in refusing mediation by • the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades Unions, stating that. they, do not reognise the latter’s authority to intervene in the matter without the consent of the organisation. directly concerned. The secretary added that the union intended to notify the owners that the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades Unions was acting without the authority of the cooks, and that the latter were now going to attempt to arrange a conference to discuss the question of the abolition of the roster system, together with other terms. A Melbourne message states that, despite, the. fact that the cooks repudiated' the intervention of the Australian and New Zealand Council of Trades Unions, it is expected that the council will endeavour to reopen negotiations with the owners. If the cooks’ leaders continue to refuse to recognise the council’s authority, the council will conclude terms of settlement with the owners and take the control of the dispute, out of the cooks’ leaders’ hands.

OWNERS’ REPLY TO REQUEST

CONDITIONS OF ENGAGEMENT NOT ALTERED.

MEN TO OPPOSE NON-UNION LABOUR,

Received 10.25 a.m. to-day. MELBOURNE, May 23. The Shipowners’ Association has received a telegram from Mr. Tudehope, in Sydney, requesting a conference to discuss a settlement, and declaring that the Trades Union Council has no authority to act on the cooks’ behalf.

The shipowners’ secretary (Mr.' Eleford) replied: “We will meet your representatives with or without representatives of other bodies to discuss a. settlement. We have already informed you on two occasions of theterms on which we are .ready to engage your members. These take nothing away from you to which you were previously entitled, but after the ships of all members of my organisation are fully manned, if there is any difficulty until regard to details, we are nreoared to consider any suggestion vou may make.” At a. meeting of the combined committee of the maritime unions and the Trades Union Council, a resolution was carried to lesist to the<* utmost any attempt made by the employers to engage non-union labour for ships, also to resist the abolition of the roster system, which for yeans has been a condition of employment as well as being contained in a. clause in the cooks’ union rules. The resolution declared that before the owners got their way in this matter the Arbitration Court should he consulted.