STRIKE DEADLOCK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18641, 23 February 1924, Page 9

STRIKE DEADLOCK

iPSOPOSED AGREEMENT RATIFICATION DEFERRED. DELEGATES not unanimous THE EXTRA TWO SHILLINGS. ALL WANTED IMMEDIATELY. Br Telegraph-Press ABaooiaiion-Copyrizht. (Received 8.15 p.m.) -j 7 LONDON. 1 Feb. 21. 1 Directly to proposed settlement of the Directly announce d telegrams dockers nf to all ports in Britain calling were sent to F° to Ijondon in order the men Bd(d * The delegates met io ratify 1 . . discussed the matter. in th. —-ous reading They were far irom the "settlement. . M.BJ of the aetoptei. socially thoK ™ Manchester and the Tjne. from Glasgow, « n would bo gloomily .rgwi ** tho wbo,e 23 "tmXtely- 'Despite . lbo ., " E "; rjrtr * ,Mr Ernest Bevm, the dockers rr„" "wive. and «*• eloqaence ° Mr uSktl, the meeting refused to accept the settlement, though the London, Htistol, Southampton and Hull delegates rioinally supported the leaders. A® no immediate decision "was likely tho conference adjourned. ? Later Mr. Bevin announced that the strike would continue until the delegates jjrd returned to their districts. jlit the meeting of dockers' delegates Mr Bevin explained the draft agreement. He emphasised the fact that here was a oh-rin- which, properly applied, meant the end of casual employment. It also meant pay for men who, through no fault of their oirn, might be standing idle. He urged memVwrs of the union and the countrv to suspend judgment until the delegates had returned to their ports with the fullest fact-:. Mr. Tillett dc .'tared that the agreement was a compromise. The leaders, having recommended it. would support it. The chief difficulty remaining in London is that the stevedore*, whose demand for an increase of. '.ft*. 6d daily is not yet decided, are asking ! i :>r a separate agreement. The officials of their union say they will not be divided behind Mr. Bevin. » Without the stevedoivm m ships can be unloaded and no cargom :a.n be stowed, bo they are the key workers. The Stevedores Union, however, hiss fw members outside London. The provisional terms of settlement arranged are exactly those which Mr. Thos. Shaw, Minister for labour, proposed to both sides before the strike commenced. '