AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19833, 31 December 1927, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN SHIPPING.

DISPUTE OVEE MEETING.

SEAMEN LEAVE VESSEL. SERIOUS RESULT FEARED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received December 30, 11.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. SYDNEY, Dec. 30. Trouble has arisen out of the decision of the seamen to hold a stop-work meeting on Wednesday without the sanction of the owners, which they did. Under the Navigation Acl it is provided that if men are absent from their ship without leave they shall have two days' pay deducted from their wages. The owners are taking steps to enforce that provision, and eight members of the crew of the Australian United Steam Navigation Company's steamer Makarra gave notice on Wednesday and left the vessel yesterday. There was no response to a call for men to fill the vacancies.

Matters took a serious turn to-day when a call was made for a crew for the Makarra. There was no response and the owners tied the vessel up indefinitely. Similiar trouble was experienced when the owners of the steamer Saros called for a crew, and the cargo of that vessel was transferred to another steamer of the same line. , Although the outlook is gloomy, as the seamen are determined on reprisals, so far there is no suggestion of passenger steamers in port becoming immediately involved.: STEWARDS DISMISSED. TROUBLE ON MORETON BAY. REINSTATEMENT REFUSED* A. and N.Z. SYDNEY, Dec. SO. In accordance with the usual procedure the entire crew of the steamer Moreton Bay was signed off at the conclusion of their engagements. All hands were re-engaged except 60 of the stewards, who refused to serve the luncheon at Balmain Regatta on Monday and who were dismissed. The stewards subsequently held a meeting at which it was decided to make representations to have the men reinstated. Officials of the union interviewed the management, but the demand for reinstatement was refused.

A member of the Commonwealth Shipping Board stated that if the other stewards refused to offer for engagement to-day, the directors would have no option but to pay off tho crew and lay the vessel up. BOATSWAIN AND UNION. RE-EMPLOYMENT DIECLINED. STATEMENT BY EMPLOYERS. A. and N.Z. SYDNEY. Dec. 30. The Commonwealth Shipping Line has offered the boatswain, who was fined by the union for allegedly carrying tales, reemployment, but he declined. The company, in a statement, says it presumes that the man acted under pressure from the union, not being disposed to ask for trouble, as ho probably knew that if he had offered to sign on he would have been disciplined. It quotes a previous similar case when a man who remained loyal to the owners was dismissed from membership of the union, and afterwards found it impossible to obtain employment on vessels on the Australian register. The statement claims that the action taken by the union in the boatswain s case amounts to a complete boycott of all shipping in Austraiia.