AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19086, 3 August 1925, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING.

AGREEMENT ADOPTED. REFERRED TO THE UNIONS. RATIFICATION NOW NECESSARY. HEAVY LOSS DUE TO STRIKE!. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 5.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. MELBOURNE. Aug. 1. At last night's sitting of the conference between the representatives of the shipowners and the Seamen's Union tho agreement which had been reached by tho sub-com-mittee of the conference was adopted. The agreement will now be considered by the unions concerned, and, provided that they ratify it, the long drawn out dispute will be ended. It may be some days yet before the normal shipping services are restored, but the agreement may come into force on Monday and the picking up of labour may be commenced on Tuesday. In tho meantime the terms of l the agreement have been forwarded to the unions. The owners, in a statement issued after the close of the conference, said that if tho agreement were duly signed by the Seamen's Union and by the Transport Group of Unions an effective guarantee for the .abolition of job control would bo issued. This had been insisted upon by the owners throughout the negotiations as a condition of a settlement. The marine transport group met last night, but deferred debating the situation until the coming week. The Fremantle branch of tho Seamen's Union has forwarded a letter to the Fremantle District Council of the Australian Labour Party stating that it has withdrawn from affiliation with the council. The action was taken as a protest against the recent expulsion from the labour movement of George Byce, one of the executive officers of the Fremantle branch. The withdrawal was accepted. It is estimated that tho shipping strike has resulted in a loss of £IOO,OOO to the shipowners and £60,000 to the seamen.