SHIPOWNERS’ TERMS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12196, 22 July 1925, Page 7

SHIPOWNERS’ TERMS

CONFERENCE ADJOURNED FOR SEAMEN TO DELIBERATE AWARD WAGES* OFFERED CONCILIATION BOARD PROPOSED TO SETTLE DISPUTES By Telegraph.—Press Association.—Copyright. (Received July 21, 10.45 p.m.) MELBOURNE, July 21. The long-awaited conference between representatives of the shipowners and the disaffected maritime unions net to-day, and after about two hours adjourned until a date to be fixed, to enable the seamen to consider the owners’ terms. The owners demanded: — ■ That job control be abandoned. * That the present system of engaging men be abandoned. , That fortnightly payments and stop-work meetings be abandoned. That men be picked up at ships’ sides when they are required outside the picking-up times at the Marine Office. That a conciliation board be appointed to sit in Melbourne to settle disputes. These objects are to be achieved by altering certain clauses of the award. An undertaking that the clauses of the altered award will be observed is to be inserted in the articles, and the rates of pay as to the old award are to be paid. The only outstanding points appear to be: (a) The desire on the part of the owners that they should be relieved from the anxieties and uncertainties which long have hampered them, through the tyrannies of job control; and (b) the seamen’s desire that they should secure all the advantages they enjoyed under the forfeited Arbitration Court award. The Sydney transport group, although still prepared to guarantee the terms of settlement agreed to by the Commonwealth Shipping Board, has definitely withdrawn from the negotiations. Mr Tom Walsh said the seamen would have counter-proposals to offer, and added that several portions of the owners’ terms would not in any circumstances be accepted by the men. He concluded by stating they were quite prepared to relinquish job control, but wanted the owners to relinquish a little control of their job too. The chairman, in adjourning the conference, said it would adjourn until it heard from the Seamen's Federal executive. The Seamen’s Union will meet on Wednesday to consider the matter, and it is expected an announcement will be made on Friday as to when the conference will meet, again. , , . ' . . . . SYDNEY, July 21. All shipping activity is at a standstill. Both sides are awaiting the result of the Melbourne conference, but generally the opinion is expressed that nothing will be known until the end of the \veek. The most important development in the strike has been the refusal of the watersiders to load coastal vessels manned by volunteer labour. On all these vessels the cooks and stewards also ieft their employment, but the management were able to fill the vacan>ll63. A call was made for volunteer wharf labourers, and already sufficient men have been engaged to handle the ships in port, and with the exception of one or two steamers, all the coastal fleet can be kept running.