INDUSTRIAL MATTERS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 158, 20 June 1912, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL MATTERS.

FRENCH SEAMEN ON STRIKE

[PBESS ASSOCIATION —COPYBIGHT.]

Paris, June 19. The seamen at Marseilles have resolved on a general strike.

CHRISTCHURCH TRAMWAY-

WISE COUNSEL PREVAILS

Chrstchurch, June 19,

The vote taken at the two meetings of the tramway employees yesterday indicated that the proposal to strike on Monday next did not find favour even among members of the union themselves. The morning meeting, composed of the night shift, was attended by 60 men, 38 of whom voted in favour of a strike and 22 against. That gave the strike party a majority of 16. At the evening meeting, composed of the day shift, those present were almost unanimous against a strike. There were 105 men at the meeting, and of that number only 6 voted for a strike, 99 recorded their votes against it. On the two meetings, therefore, the figures were: —For a strike 44, against 121. The discussions at the meetings were at times of a very animated nature. The secretary of the union (Mr. H. Hunter) strongly urged that the men should stick to their first resolution to suspend traffic on Monday afternoon. It might, he said, mean gaol, and he himself would be prepared to share imprisonment with the men. A calmer view of the situation was, however, taken by a majority of the traffic men present. A number of those who spoke admitted that no fault could reasonably be found with the construction of the roster so far as that went, but what they wanted was that men employed on broken work and kept waiting about all day should be paid for eight hours each day. Even wiser counsels prevailed at the evening meeting, when a number of the older men urged the meeting not to precipitate trouble when it could be avoided. Peaceful methods should first of all be submitted, and above all the first thing to do was to approach the board by letter f or deputation, urge the claims of the men affected, and wait and see what attitude the board would take. That was a more proper course to follow than the one proposed. The reasoning of those opposed to the strike prevailed, with the result that the final voting was as given above. Eater.

Air. Hunter, secretary of the Tramways Unions denies having, at the meetings held yesterday, urged the men to strike. He says he advocated a peaceful apepal to the board with a view to getting grievances remedied. He made no reference to going to gaol.

THE INANGAHUA TROUBLE

HELP FROM WELLINGTON.

AVellington, June 20,

A meeting of Waterside Workers decided to call a levy of 2/- on single men and 1Z- on marred men, weekly, for the wives and families of the unemployed Reefton miners.

QUEENSLAND’S EXAMPLE

London, June 19.

The “Pall Mall Gazette,” referring to the Queensland strike legislation, says it will be interesting in this country to note the new policy to check upheavals.