Threatened Shipping Strike.

Manawatu Herald, 5 January 1897, Page 2

Threatened Shipping Strike.

* . A Melbourne oable says a shipping strike of a serious character i 8 threatened in connection with the whole of the intercolonial steamers, the engineers having made certain demands upon the owners, with an ultimatum that if these are not granted the agreement under which they are at present working will terminate on the Ist January. The owners have conceded all the important demands, but decline to grant the whole of them till the engineers have withdrawn the notice of cancellation of their present agreement. Within the last few months, the engineers raised the question as to the pay of engineers on steamers owned in England over which charterers have no control. The demand was made that the engineers of these steamers should be paid the same rate as is provided for in the agreement under which the engineers of local steamers work. A letter also forwarded by the Engineers' Association to the owners demanded a, return to the rates of pay which prevailed in 1890, requesting that steamers of two hundred horse power and over, running a distance of four hundred miles between the terminal ports, should carry four engineers and a greaser on each watch ; further, that all shipping articles in the coastal and intercolonial trade must contain a twenty-four hours' notice clause for Home ports. The owners replied that they could not accept the engineers' reasons for terminating the agreement on the Ist January, but were prepared to confer with the representatives of engineers on the whole question, provided that the notice was withdrawn. The engineers stated that they would only withdraw the cancellation of the notice subject to all their present demands being granted, as from the Ist January, further demands to be subject of a conference. The trouble between the Marine Engineers' Institute and the Steamship Owners' Association has reached an acute stage in Melbourne. At a meeting of the Owners' Association it was decided to firmly resist the action of the engineers if they persisted in their demands, and lay up the vessels and pay off tho crews. The other side express equal determination. The first blow was struck in connection with Howard Smith's steamers. The Barrabool, which was to sail for Sydney in the forenoon, stopped at the last minute, the engineers leaving in obedience to a mandate from tbeir Association. Similar action was taken with the Union Company's Bteamer Pateena, timed to leave for Launceston at three o'clock, and also the coastal steamers. Amongst the intending passengers by the Pateena were the Governors of South Australia and Tasmania. In the case of the A.U.S.N. Company's Cintra, Warranga and Rock too, which sailed during the day, the engineers signed articles in Sydney, and cannot leave till they reach there. As a result of an interview by the secretary of the Engineers' Associa tion, Patterson and Company have agreed to concede the engineers' demands. The firm own only two oolliers, and are not members of the Owners' Association.