LABOUR IN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18077, 29 April 1922, Page 9

LABOUR IN AUSTRALIA.

COAIOWNEBS" PROPOSALS. ! REJECTION BY THE MINERS. APPEAL FOR DELIBERATION. Bt Tcifeianh—Pres» Association—Copyrieht. A. and o*.Z. SYDNEY, April '28. A special meeting of the council of i the Coaiminem' Federation rejected the; ' I emnloverV nroposUa, and decided to stand behind u:e union's own claims already; j placed oeiOM the tribunal. ! The jecreurv. to the onion, Mr. Willis, I has issued a manifesto urging workers not to 'r>© st.impeded into a general stoppage; of aj! Australian trade. The union .ronI gress. to he held in Melbourne in June. . he said. would probabiy formulate a rie- ■ tinite poll v for safeguarding the interests i"f workers. He reminded the men r.hat ■ t was ivmarkabie that a previous minis I ;nai ui)h-JBval occurred during the I Nationals regime, and mother was ; threatening on its return to power. ! THE SHIPPING TROUBLE. FULL CREW SIGNED ON. UNION'S LAST ENDEAVOUR. Australian and N.Z. Cable .Issoc-iauon. Herd. 10.15 p.m.; SYDNEY, April 18. The dispute the manning >f I the Commonwealth steamer Hobson's Bay j reached a head when t'Lo chief officer , selected IS deck hands not included in j the union's ballot. Mr. Johnson,'.assis-. ! tant secretary to ths Seamen's Union, 'accompanied by &S men selected by "he I union, approached the signing-on tablo and prevented each member of ths 15 signing on. The ship's officers rherenpon ordered Johnson from the ship. The latter. appealed to the 45. " This is the first time ;in official of the jaion has been ordered from the ship. lam going—yon may follow," All left, A full complement of cooks, baker?, and stewards signed on, but not deck hands or firemen. Subsequently Che chief officer signed on a full crew of fearaen except two. The engagement of the engine room complement is also procseding satisfactorily. The captain is quite confident that the; steamer will sail to time. ———— | FORTY-FOrMOUR WEEK.; BROKEN HILL EXCLUDED, j KEEPING DOWN COSTS. A. and .N'.Z- SYDNEY. April 28. 1 The Special Court under the Eight' ! Hours Amendment Act refused to grant the application for extension of the ! 44-hour week to employees of the I Broken Hill Proprietary Steel Works at i Newcastle. Mr. Justice Beeby stated ' j that it was inexpedient at present ;o j maka any industrial change which would increase the cost of production. Foreign , ompetltion had again become a serious , I menace, which could only be met by I ftirthor lowering of prices. The immeI diate problem was for the company to j achieve a producing cost which would ' enable it to further reduce its selling prices. As labour cost was the mam ei.ament there was necessity for the company's employees coming to a new i basis of wage payments bearing relation ' tj the local average selling price of iron j and steel. Dismissal notices have been issued to j 100 employees of the Lithgow Small Arms Factory, and mors will follow. STRIKERS AT CAMERRA. REFUSAL OF COMPROMISE. Australian *nd N.Z. Cable Association. (Seed. 5.5 p.m.) SYDNEY. April 28. A deputation asked the State Premier. Sir George Fuller, to intervene in the Canberra strike. Sir Geargfi promised to consult tiro Federal Prime Minister, Mr. W. M. Hughes, on the latter's arrival at Sydney shortly. He could not believe i that Mr. B. W. Foster, Federal Minister i for Works, was susceptible to Melbourne influences, tliough the latter, was deter- ; mined to prevent, if possible, to establish. ! ment of the Federal capital in its own home. Whiie ho was unable to decide the mentu of the Federal dispute, it was his duty to endeavour to prevent unemployment in the State, A message from Queanbeyan states that Mr. Foster offered a compromise. Ho sug- j gested that the men return to work at j ' the "id rates of pay, but on new hours. I , The men refused. The position otherwise | i has not changed. i