INDUSTRIAL MATTERS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 55, 17 February 1912, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL MATTERS.

COAL MINERS CEASE WORK. ON LAST DAY IN FEBRUARY. ONE MILLION MINERS INVOLVED. [PBEBB ASSOCIATION —COPYBIGHT.] (Received 17, 9.30 a.m.) London, Feb. 16. The majority of the miners have handed in notices to cease work on the 29th inst. The English Coal Conciliation Board meets on Monday and it is hoped will effect a temporary settlement. The strike would involve a million miners. IRONMASTERS GIVE WORKMEN FORTNIGHT’S NOTICE. (Received 17, 9.30 a.m.) London. Feb. 16. The ironmasters at Cleveland and South Durham have given the workmen a fortnight’s notice in view of the expected shortage of coal. ATTITUDE OF SOUTH WALES OWNERS. (Received 17. 10.45 a.m. London. Fob. 13. -a ■ f tin. Conciliation Board, awarded the South Wales miners increase of 1| per cent., which the ■ >•■;!:; >re recent''■ i-c i'iisi’d. Ihe <ivs )■;• hai-f. nyr- 7 . ■ 1 m moot tin* men .-•■.m.i discuss the oWsls while :: 1 I'im:l •ng ■i'-u they would not grant the mini mum wage in the io rm demanded. SHORTAGE OF I A BOUR IX SO' ill AUSTIi.i I.IA. (Received 17, 10.--5 a.m.. Adelaide. Fc-b. 17. The Inspector of Factories state, the shortage of labour was : Men 977. youths 136, women 726, girls 279. BEER PULLERS’ STRIKE. (Received 17, 9.40 a.m.) Adelaide, Feb. 17. The brewers employees have struck on the question of pay to barmen and cellnrmon. They demandeel £3/5/- and the right to board out, instead of £2 '5/- and. their keep. The conference failed to effect a settlement. The liquor trade employees and officials called out the brewery wcikcrs and will cut off supplies unless settle d. The barmen cease work to-dav.

WELLINGTON MEAT STRIKE. DOCKERS DECLINE TO HANDLE SHIPMENTS. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Feb. 16. At a conference held by representatives of the Wellington Wharf Labourers’ Union to-day with representatives of the New Zealand Federation of Labour in connection with the strike at the Ngahauranga and Petone freezing works, it was decided not to handle any further shipments of meat from the Gear Meat Company and the Meat Export Company pending a settlement of the trouble. This decision will not affect meat sent for shipment from the Longburn and Waingawa works.

This afternoon six trucks of meat from Petone and Ngahauranga, together with shipments from other works, were awaiting unloading at the wharves for transhipment. In view of the fact that the men had already been engaged to unload this meat before notification came of the decision not to handle it the shipment was allowed to go through, but it was made clear that no further shipments from Petone or Ngahauranga would be handled at the waterside.

The wharf labourers say that although the strikois’ union is not affiliated with the Federation of Labour they will not ship meat that has passed through the hands of "scab” labour. There is to be a meeting of waterside workers to-morrow to further consider the matte)-. .MERCHANTS’ ASSISTANTS’ DISCONTENT. Wellington, Fob. IG. There was a- larg; ly-att ended meeting of the Mer.-hants’ Assistants’ ’’lion last night, when the present position of the union was exhaustive - iv dealt with. Th” union ws registered '--i March last, and its ease was fur wre Lew before th” Co'CGv CweLw.m. Hr. '’ally To vi - J-' r” I w red ? o tie 1 > !>:; :<w ; ( tv-r'i fur a ruling, hut «o far this has nt>i b'rtiiccnu.ng. The naif!:;, t!:a.w fore., is no ftirtbef forwuvd with its demands. aeJ niembers nie eypre-’--,nm ’U'ieii indigv.a; i-m at the mt-ihod M MW UhMs’iwi Com'!. Thov .w’iith st- l heir case with that- of othw unions who have .e.o*’ gone to the court, anil who leave been successful in obtaining increased wages two or thr-’e weeks after the demand has been made. The members claim also that as there have been increases all round which hav-- affected the cost of living their case is considerrbly strengthened. After a long dis-

cussion last right the following motion was carried : —"That this meeting of merchants’ assistants regrets Hie dilatory way in which the Arbitration Court has dealt with the ruling asked for by the Conciliation Commissioner (Mr. Hally) in the dispute with the union and the employers. and urges its members to consider the advisability of withdrawing the case from the Arbitration Court and cancelling registration under the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. and move towards joining the New Zealand Federation of Lab,our and striking for an increase of wages.’ It was also decided that in the event of the emplovers holding no. the waterside workers would be asked to assist by refusing to unload goods for the warehouses.

The retail drapers are also form- ; ng themselves into a union, to be known as the Retail Soft Goods

Union. Whether this union will go to the Arbitration Court or not depends on how the merchants’ assistants fare. In the event of a disagreement the two bodies were likely to amalgamate. Wellington. Feb. 17. Regarding the cornplaint of the Merchants’ Assistants’ Union of the dilatory methods of the Arbitration Court hearing, the point in their case, as officially stated, is that the application in question was only lodged with theh clerk of awards on February sth and will be heard next month.

BOOT OPERATIVES’ DEMANDS

Wellington, Feb. 16. The representatives of the New Zealand boot manufacturers and of the Boot Operatives’ Federation met again to-day in order to consider the wages and working conditions. It is understood that the conference has terminated without any agreement liaving been come to. The matter will now engage the attention of the Conciliation Commissioner. GREYMOUTH WHARF LABOURERS. Greymouth, Feb. 16. After protracted sittings the Wharf Labourers’ Union yesterday afternoon agreed to insist on the follow- -* * lice de n fids :—(1) Payment ol ."1 1 oip fj ■’ll work after 5 p.m. i i irdnvs : (2) no work between 11 i,’. I t nlidii 'fi dace month: 1 n il * i except e - 3,6 ac u 1 an hou; cahm/ wu > i \ pl r - ’ , i * \ , < < u na t ’-, < ’ll 111 , \ , l 1 < ' I I’loo,l <(J I, s i l 'i pi id ' Fede . u >t i | 1 >' o ’- wilh regard to hitun i , at i’ i ’ t voting being by an oi < is’ j ot I ands. I > a illy certain that from I out the r will swim with tin >" hi i ,< < That was one of tht enusfs or the present trouble, sontf desiring to get the union into the federation at all costs. It is understood that Mr. Se.mpkadvocated interviewing the Unio? Company’s general manager with regard to future negotiations. Thit course was adopted. Under the circumstances no further movement is like!/,' under a fortnight. The local representatives of the shipping companies have not been further approached on the matter. DOCKERS NOT DOING SO BADLY. £l4 FOR 9 DAYS’ WORK. Some waterside workers are apparently not doing badly nowadays, says the Wellington “Post.” The Tongariro, for the purpose of loading at various ports along the coast before leaving for Home, took with her a gang of men from Wellington. These men, it is stated, worked nine days, and each received £l4. In one instance the lighter came out late on Saturday night, and the men worked a portion of Sunday. For every hour or portion of an hour worked on the Sabbath they were paid at a rate of 5/10 an hour. One day was spent by the Tongariro in going up the coast, and for this the men received 10/- each. They were, of course, supplied with meals throughout the voyage. It may' be added that a number of wharf laborers working on Home boats last week made over £6 in four days, including overtime.