NO STRIKE SETTLEMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19142, 7 October 1925, Page 12

NO STRIKE SETTLEMENT.

THE NEGOTIATIONS FAIL PRIME MINISTER'S REPORT. CLAIMS MADE BY THE MEN. EXTRAVAGANT DEMANDS. A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS. GOVERNMENT PROTECTION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. The Prime Minister, Hon. J. G. Coates, this evening issued the following statement as to the result of the conferences held with a view to settling the shipping strike "In a statement which I made in the House of Representatives on the evening of September 29, I indicated that I was negotiating with delegates of the overseas seamen and representatives of the shipowners with a view to bringing about a conference between the two parties. It must be understood that the dispute could be settled in New Zealand only by mutual agreement between the parties or alternatively by some tribunal in the United Kingdom. The Government has no jurisdiction whatever. I will later submit a statement giving greater detail of the proceedings, but in the meantime confine myself to the result and remedy. " The seamen's delegates were brought in from the various ports, where the men were on strike, and the conference met at 3.30 o'clock on Monday afternoon, sat until 6.30 p.m., resumed at 10,30 a.m. on Tuesday and closed at noon. The seamen's delegates presented a statement of the men's demands which were as follow; Details o! Men's Claims. (1) The immediate release from prison of all British seamen. (2) The men of the overseas ships now on strike to sign new articles of agreement for the voyage to the United Kingdom, for which purpose they shall bo signed clear of the now existing articles and given "V.G." certificates of discharge. (3) Wages shall accrue to each man on the existing articles for the time "he has not worked since August 1. (4) No wages to be paid during the alty shall be deductable from the wages of the men in respect to anything that has occurred in New Zealand in connection with the present dispute to which this settlement relates. (5) All entries in official logs or elsewhere of offences pertaining to the present dispute to be cancelled and there shall be no victimisation. (6) No prosecutions with respect o any matter involved in the present dispute in New Zealand shall be instituted in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. Extra Payment While in Gaol. (7) That on a settlement being arrived at each man who has been imprisoned shall bo compensated at the rate of £1 per day or part of a day. (8) On behalf of her crew each ship shall pay in cash to the solicitor of the crews in the present dispute the full cost of the board and lodging of the men incurred during the time they have been ou shore. (9) Le|»al expenses incurred in Court proceedings against or by the men shall be refunded to them by the ship concerned. Such payment shall be made in cash to the solicitor of the men. (10) The payments referred to in Nos. 8 and 9 shall be made before any ship is manned. (11) Payments under all allotment notes shall be immediately reinstituted and payments made accordingly as if there had been no cessation of work. this purpose the companies' offices in the United Kingdom where allotments are payable shall be at once advised by cablegram by each company concerned. (12) The sliding scale of wages to be abolished. (13) On the foregoing terms and conditions being agreed to arid signed the ships will be manned at once. " It was indicated that the men would not sign new articles except at the July rates of pay. The Shipowners' Proposals. "The shipowners' representatives withdrew to consider these demands and having done so, indicated that they were rejected. They submitted alternative proposals, which were as follows: — > (1) The men to return to the ships immediately on the basis of their articles. (2) Conditional on No. 1, no prosecutions will take placo in tho United' Kingdom. . (3) "V.G." discharges, conditional on behaviour during the balance of the voyage, will be given. (4) No wages to be paid during the time the men were on strike. (5) There can be no remission of fines whicli have been imposed by a master or by the Court. (6) Regarding the reinstitution of allotments, the shipowners are not in a position to-day to say anything definite, but expect to be able to say something on the subject to-morrow. (7) Any grievances the men may have should be placed by them before the Board of Trade for its consideration after their arrival in the United Kingdom. '* As to condition 6, the owners' representatives at a later stage indicated that if the men resumed full duty current allotments would be immediately resumed. Outstanding allotments also would be paid, as far as the balance due to the nen would permit. No Tribunal Acceptable. "The seamen's delegates intimated thai thev absolutely rejected these terms of resumption. During the course of the negotiations with the men's delegates I suggested they should resume full duty and leave a settlement of their dispute to be dealt with on their return to the United Kingdom by the committee of the Board of Trade. This they rejected. "Just prior to the close of the conference I again asked the men if there was any tribunal to which they would agree to submit their differences for adjudication. They repliod that it was tho considered opinion of the seamen that no tribunal would be acceptable. The delegates' principal spokesman finally stated they could not waive or deviate in any way from the demands which they had put forward on Monday and unless the owners' representatives had any further proposals to put before them tho discussion would have to be closed. "The owners' representatives replied that overnight they had given further careful consideration to the matter, but were unable to depart from the proposals they had submitted. To my final request to the seamen as to whether there was no alternative which they would consider, the reply was that there was absolutely no alternative to what they had laid down. The conference then ended. "As to remedying the existing disastrous state of affairs there is only one way, and that is to move the ship*', and this apparently can be done only oy augmenting the crews which have stood by their ships with volunteers. Hie ships must be manned in accordance with the conditions which have been laid down for the purpose by the Board of Trade, under whose governance they are, and agreed to by the Underwriters' Association. The shipping companies will advertise for men to complete the complement for each ship and the Government will take such steps as may be necessary to assure the protection of the crews."