STRIKE IN AUSTRALIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19806, 29 November 1927, Page 11

STRIKE IN AUSTRALIA.

SERIOUS VIEW TAKEN. SEAMEN'S DECISION PENDING DEVELOPMENT AT BRISBANE. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. (Received November 28, 11.25 p.m.) A. and N.Z. MELBOURNE, Nov. 28. These, is every indication that unless an agreement concerning the overtime strike is reached before Wednesday, when the owners' ultimatum expires, the waterside dispute will develop on a scale approaching the dispute of 1917. Particularly will this he so if the shipowners resort to the establishment of a freelabour bureau. A great deal depends on the attitude of the seamen. The latter will hold their monthly stop-work meetings at all ports to-morrow, when they will decide what attitude to adopt. The prevalent opinion of the waterside is that unless a settlement is reached before Wednesday the committee of the Waterside Workers' Federation will declare all overseas and inter-State ships ■'black." and thus involve the seamen. The waterside workers claim that the trouble can Vie averted if the owners will ■riree to a conference to enable the men to express their grievances and have them adjusted. In reply, the owners say that the fedeiation having declared that a resumption of normal work tinder the existing conditions is impossible, have now, in seeking a, conference, thrown off the mask of their pretended desire to reach the Arbitration Court. This was actually the very last thing they desired.* A message from Brisbane says the overtime strike is seriously delaying the departure of all ships from that port. A fresh dispute has arisen there, the water- ; side workers refusing to work the cargo of cement on the steamer Tairoa unless they are paid an extra shilling an hour. The agents of the steamer have referred this dispute to the Board of Trade.