THE DOCK STRIKE.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8179, 22 July 1912, Page 7

THE DOCK STRIKE.

APPEAL FOR FUNDS STRONG ALLEGATIONS AGAINST EMPLOYERS. IJy Telograph—Press Association Copyright LONDON, July 19. Tho strike committee has issued a manifesto in which it declares that tho employers havo flagrantly broken the It estimates that nearly £50,000 has been pilfered from the men’s wages, over CO per cent, of whom earned less than a pound weekly. The strike funds are depleted, and 400,000 people are starving. It makes an urgent appeal for assistance, . Mr Ben Tillott, in supporting the manifesto, calls upon the Government “ to force Dovouport and his gang of thieves from power. If anybody deserved to bo -killed,” says Mr Tillott, “ it is that gang, who, smiling wider in tho security of tho bayonets of soldiers and the bludgeons of police, are maddening tho men.” Ho says ho would deem it a righteous net to rob tho Bank of England for tho men s benefit.

(Received July 21, 6.5 p.m.) LONDON, July 20,

The strike committee has appealed to Mr Samuel Gompers, president of tho American Federation of Labor, for help for tho starving families of transport workers.

STATEMENT FOR EMPLOYERS.

WHY THE MEN’S DEMANDS ARE

REFUSED,

LONDON, July 19. Lord Davenport, chairman of the Port of London Authority, justifies his refusal to agree that the men should resumo work under the same conditions as prior to the strike, because the concessions granted in August have been abused, and have enabled the loaders to enforce the federation ticket on men applying for work. The employers now demand that the men should resume under the conditions obtaining prior to August. WHAT THE AWARDS ARE. EXPLANATION OP AGREEMENTS NOW IN DISPUTE. Tho varying agreements and awards which are constantly quoted in this dispute may be summarised as follow: Devonporfc Agreement.—The Devonport agreement, signed on July 27th last year, was tho basis of settlement of the first strike, of the transport workers; it raised the day rate of pay from 6d to 7d. and overtime rate from 8d to 9d per hour, but it reserved several points for settlement by arbitration —and one was whether men who were already receiving 7d per hoar should receive an increase of a penny. Bolilt Award.—On August 6th, 1911, this point was settled by Sir A. K. Eolllt. He decided that, In the ease of oversea vessels (foreign traders, as distinct from coasters) pay shall be increased to 8d per hour, and a shilling per hour overtime. Burns Conference.—On August 2Jrd, Mr John Burns presiding, tho Short Seatraders’ agreement was arrived at, signed by Messrs Leach. Hooper and J. 0. Mead for the wharfingers, and by the officials of the Transport Workers' Federation. It increased tho wages of firemen and seamen on the weekly and monthly boats. This is the agreement in which the transport workers agreed not to demand that either tally clerks qr foremen should bo members of tho federation. This agreement also contained a reservation, vttieh left to be settled by an arbitrator whether the discharging of short sea traders and oversea traders should be paid under a lower and a higher scale, or whether one price, the higher, should rule In both cases.

Austin Award.—Tho Austin award (September 28th. 1911) settled that, because work was less arduous and loss dangerous on coasting steamers, it should be paid for at the lower scale. Alyorstono Award. —Lord Alverrtono'a award concerned a dispute raised oyer the ship Sea Bello, from Spain, as to whether she was an ‘'oversea*" or a short seatrodor: this is, whether*tho men discharging her should b© paid at 7d per hour and 9d per hour overtime, or at 8d and Is. The Lord Ohiof Justice decided that she was an oversea trader.