DOCKERS' STRIKE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVII, 15 July 1912, Page 5

DOCKERS' STRIKE.

SAVING mi LEADERS FACES. LORD XUSVONPOUT CONFERS WITH THE GOVERNMENT^ 4Pre33 Association.—Copyright.I LONDON, July 13. Lord Devonport is conferring with tiie Premier and .xU:. Buxton. The strike leaders , have issued a j rotest in which they accuse Lord I>e von ■ port c»f prevarication, insolence-, and .malignity and trying to destroy the unions by starvation. July 14. Tour hundred dockers, with Federation tickets in their hats and accompanied hy their wives and children, marched in -procession from, the East End to a work.house. The women dropped out and the -men demanded outdoor relief, whi'oil wa-s refused. Three hundred then eni-eted the workhouse. Many refused porridge and were supplied with other i'ood. Tiie movement, js clearly defeated, and the strikers aw now merely seeking to save the -fac« 'of the leaders. A LOST CHANCE. (Rec. July 15, 8.50 a.m.) LONDON, July 14. There was renewed rioting at Tilbury, and. trains were stoned. Two large shipping firms received -•» deputation from the Strike Committee and agreed that if the strikers resumed they would, recognise the Sailors' and Firemen's "Unions, and increase wages ; but a. deadlock 'ensued owing to the men ■demanding recognition 'of the Transporters'- Federation. HOW THE TROUBLE AROSE. THe trouble with the dockers, like the trouble in the cottgn trade, was a, siliglsjnan dispute. A man who had been a foreman, but afterwards \vas not engaged on foreman's work, refused to join the lightermen's society. Members of the union then refused to work with him. -while the owjiers, on their side, refused to dismiss him. Carmen refused to, handle goods diverted from the lightermen, other men stopped work, and the federations cf masters and men struck in to the quarrel. The men alleged various breaches of the autumn agreement, such as a prejudice against unionists, and a general disloyalty to it. The men appearto have struck first- and to have invented .a strike programme afterwards. "This consisted of two parts : first, a demand for the universal recognition of the Federation ticket—i.e., for the dismissal of all non-unionist workers ; and secondly, for a lar-eiling-up of pay to the "best rates."