SEAMEN'S DEMANDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16942, 2 March 1917, Page 5

SEAMEN'S DEMANDS

'■ ■ / ABORTIVE CONFERENCE.

(Pkb Dkitbt) Press Association.)

; WELLINGTON, March 1. The conference between the representatives of the shipowners and Federated Seamen's Union concerning the proposed new working agreement failed to reach a settlement.

No further developments are outlined at present.

v (Fbom Oub Own Correspondent.) \ , . . WELLINGTON, March 1. .Nothing js announced about the recent conference between the shipowners and the faeamen s Union, but it is now definite that negotiations are at least interrupted, if not finally broken off. The seamen's delegates are walking about the city, and the owners' delegates are certainly not in conference with them. Both sets of delegates are equally emphatic in refusing to say anything of what occurred at the meeting It may be taken for granted, however, that the big obstacle would be the eight hours' ciay demand. The union was going to hold out for this concession, which has been the rule in Australia for some five years. '' In New Zealand ships the custom iii manv services is to work' only an eight hours 5 clay, ,but on, other steamers it is not ' The point is important because on some ships it would mean the. employment of extra men,.who could not be accommodated without structural alterations to the ships In view of the strict silence of the representa'Vw°i + i Clt hi par^y ' ifc ma * taken *>r granted that there as some prospect of these negotiations being reopened.