Cooks’ Altered Attitude

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 140, 28 May 1928, Page 5

Cooks’ Altered Attitude

May Return on Old Award Informal Negotiations Proceeding Twenty-Two Ships Now Idle [United Press Assn.—By Cable—Copyright.] [Australian and New Zealand Press Association.] (Received 28, 10.0 a.m.) Melbourne, May 28. Informal negotiations have begun between representatives of the Watersiders’ Federation and the shipowners for an arrangement under which the cooks will agree to return to the idle vessels under the terms of the old award.

The only condition the cooks ask for is to be allowed to retain the poster system provided under their rules. The Cooks’ Union, it is stated, would concede to the shipowners the right of free selection of labour as desired by them. The mediations also ask that the cooks should be permitted to seek the reinstatement of their award, also to ask for whatever variations they desire, leaving the Court to decide the issues. The question of an extra man for the Ulimaroa’s galley, they suggest, should be left to the board of reference, op Arbitration Court. TWO MORE SHIPS HELD UP. (Received 28. 10.0 a.m.) Brisbane, May 28. Howard Smith’s vessel, Tifne. has been held up on her way from Rockhampton. The cook left and the company is unable to obtain a substitute.

Sydney, May 28. The collier Kooyoug is now held up. Her Sydney owners applied to the union for three cooks, intending to select one therefrom, but the union sent only one. The owners, in pursuance of their avowed intention to select whom they liked, rejected the Cooks’ Union’s nominee and the vessel, which should have sailed for Newcastle on Friday, is still idle.

In addition to the above two ships there are now twenty ships laid up at various ports awaiting the Cooks’ Union. The company does not expect that any difficulty will arise in regard to the sailing of the Aorangi on Thursday.

An overnight cable stated that some hope has arisen that the strike may be settled on Monday or Tuesday. but the position is critical. In the absence of an agreement the last coastal passenger ship, the Qrmiston, will be tied up at Melbourne. R is stated that there is a chance of the cooks resuming on the owners’ terms.