PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLI, Issue 70, 23 March 1907, Page 5

PREFERENCE TO UNIONISTS.

" A HAMPERING PROVISION."

THE PRIVILEGE WITHDRAWN

[PKESS ASSOCIATION.] (Received March 23, 0.33 a r tn.)

SYDNEY, March 22

Recently the coaling of steamers has been hampered oAving .to the members of the Coal-lumpers' Union declining to work:on Saturday afternoons. As a result, the Steam Collier Owners' and Coal Stevedores' Associations applied to the Arbitration Court to amend the award so as to require the lumpers to work whenever required, excepting between midnight on Saturday and midnight on Sunday; also that the employers should be relieved from the obligation of employing unionists.

The President, in granting the with-drawal'-of preference from the Union, said that tJbe men had clearly disregarded thft intention, qf the award, and the employers should be relieved from the hampering provision of preference to unionists, which prevented the employers'to argreat extent from defining their position.

Another member of the Court declared that the men had taken a very jAwrong stand in not accepting the offer pofv;th.e(s3oui't;to;h6ld a conference with the -ejnploye-rs. They should make -eTeryt^ffoitt beiore taking an extreme step. JHe-strongly urged them again Hx> eon^i/der :the. question of a conference, -i

' r . The AE«s4ident promised to give at"ientiottiin other requests <af tthe .owners rto-morrow. :; . .