OVERTIME STRIKE

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVII, Issue 306, 29 November 1927, Page 7

OVERTIME STRIKE

DRASTIC OUTCOME PROBABLE. SHIPOWNERS ADAMANT. WILL ADHERE TO ULTIMATUM. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) Received November 29, 1.5 p.m. MELBOURNE, Nov. 29. At a meeting of the watersiders’ management committee fears were expressed, that if the shipowners carried out the threat to tie up the ships in the event of their demands being disregarded by the watersiders, despite the committee’s resolution rejecting the terms proposed the dispute would reach a stage which was not contemplated by tho union when the original overtime strike was given effect to. • Later the committee announced that although no reply had yet been received from the shipowners, the union was still prepared to negotiate with the object of endeavouring to arrive at a settlement. ’ The Port Phillip stevedores, who handle all overseas cargo in the Port of Melbourne, have decided to support the watersiders’ strike.

Representatives of the shipowners stated that they will refuse to confer with the delegates from the watersiders even if the men decide to return on normal conditions on Wednesday. The owners will hold to the letter their ultimatum. If the men decided to resume on Wednesday _ the owners will not open any negotiations until the matter comes before the Arbitration Court. The terms of the awards and agreements will have to be honoured until the matter is before the court. — Press Association.

OPINION IN SYDNEY.

SYDNEY, Nov. 28.

The prevalent waterside opinion is that unless a settlement is reached before Wednesday the result of the shipowners’ ultimatum will be that the Waterside Workers’ Federation Committee will declare all overseas and in-ter-State ships “black,” thus involving the seamen.

The watersiders claim that the trouble can be averted if the owners will agree to a conference enabling the men to express their grievances and have them adjusted. The owners reply that the federation, having declared that resumption of normal work under the existing conditions was impossible, have now in seeking a conference thrown off the mask of a pretended desire to reach the Arbitration Court, which was actually the very last thing they desired. The Union Company’s steamer Kiwitea has been placed on the “black” list at Newcastle, where she arrived with a load of, zinc from Hobart. The wharf labourers refused to unload the cargo because it was loaded by the Zinc Company’s own employees. —Press Association.