INDUSTRIAL STRIFE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2983, 17 May 1911, Page 34

INDUSTRIAL STRIFE.

DISPUTE IN YORKSHIRE. LONDON, May 8. There is a recrudescence of trouble in Yorkshire owing to the'employers refusing to advance wages and lessen the hours. Twelve thousand Huddersfield weavers a.re balloting whether to cease work or to accept the Board of Trade, arbitration. THE HARVESTER DISPUTE. MELBOURNE, May 10. The Harvester Works are taking a secret ballot to-day on the question whether the men shall return to work. It is probable that a start will be made to-morrow. May 11. The Harvester , strikers decided by 709 to 214 to return io work. The proprietors will re-engage as many of them as possible. . • May 12. There is a hitch in the harvester workers' agreement, the men alleging that the masters aire re-employing the men in such a manner as to victimise the strikers. The committee are endeavouring to arrange a conference on the matter. May 13. *r The Harvester strike was definitely settled yesterday. The hitch in the negotiations was the result of a misunderstanding. TYPOGRAPHICAL STRIKE. CAPETOWN, May 9. The Typographical Society has proclaimed a" strike by way of protest against the employment of non-unionists. The Cape Times, the South African News, and Onsland are not appearing. All the master printers in Capetown have decided to support the newspapers. The papers already pay union rates and work union hours.

May 10. The newspapers are appearing on alternate days, and their contents are meagre. The general printing trade is paralysed. May 11. The printers on strike now demand a minimum wage of £3 Iss, instead of £3 6s per week; and 48 hours instead of 50. COAL MINERS ON STRIKE. MELBOURNE, May 10. The miners at the State coal mine struck, and refused to resume until one of their grievances (the shortage of trucks) was settled to their satisfaction. RAILWAY LABOURERS' STRIKE. SYDNEY, May 10. The men engaged on the Moree-Mun-gindi railway, which the Government is building by d,ay labour, struck for 15s a day for each man and a horse. Mr Griffith (Minister of Public Works) immediately purchased horses and sent other men to take the place of the strikers. He says he cannot allow the workmen to dictate to the department. THE RENMAEK DISPUTE. SYDNEY, May 10. Mr Verran, the Premier of South Australia, is visiting Sydney. In an interview, referring to the Renmark labour troubles, he said the policy of his Government was to go straight for compulsory arbitration. . He had no sympathy for the unions that revolutionary tactics. The Government intended to introduce a compulsory Arbitration Bill, and the principal provision would be to make every union and every association of employers register under the new law.

Once Parliament said that all industrial disputes must be decided by law, then strikes would be treated the same as any law-breaking. The Government did not fear legitimate unionism, but the leaders of the Renmark dispute were men with revolutionary intentions, who made no secret of their opposition to labour. THE COST OF LIVING. . SYDNEY, May 11. Delivering judgment in the Industrial -Court, Judge Heydon declared that rents and prices continued to increase. During past three years the cost of living had regulated the living wage below which wages must not fall and above which skilled labour rose. May 12. The Labour Council decided to send a deputation to the Government requesting the appointment of a Royal Commission to inquire into the of living. The speakers stated that the time *jad come for such an inquiry. As wages were increased by the boards there was a corresponding rise in the price of commodities. The workers, it was asserted, were being bled by the employers over the price for food. Limitations in rents should also be fixed. ' •- "' , May 13. A deputation asked the Acting State Premier (Mr Holman) to appoint a Royal Commission to inquire into the increased cost of living. They mentioned several different alleged combines, instancing, among other things, that while wages in the boot trade had increased 2d per pair, the retail price had advanced 15d to 2s. Mr Holman promised an almost immediate inquiry.

VICTORIAN FACTORIES ACT. MELBOURNE, May 11. A man was fined a shilling for removing his own furniture after 7.30 in the evening in contravention of the Factories Act, which states that nothing must be carted after that time. A DOCKERS' STRIKE. LISBON, May 11. The dockers at Oporto have struck work. ENGINEERS' WAGES. LONDON, May 11. Subject to ratification by the employers and the men, the Central Conference at York on the issue between the Clyde engineers and their employees agreed to a farthing advance ill June, and another in January. This agreement is to remain in operation for three yea Ts. ENGINEDRIVERS' AWARD. MELBOURNE, May 12. The Federal Arbitration Court has delivered judgment in the claim by the Enginedrivers and Firemen'6 Association of Australia, affecting a large number of leading mines throughout the Commonwealth. The rates have been fixed as follows : Locomotive and winding .enginedrivers, lis to 12s daily; other enginedrivers, 9s to 10s; firemen in charge of one boiler, 8s 4d; in charge of two boilers, 9s; greasers and cleaners, Bs. The court did not think that a case was made out for preference for unionists. The working hours are fixed at 48 per week, excepting in the case of locomotive drivers, regarding whom •it is found impossible to fix hours. The award will onp-rat., for five years.

SOUTH WALES COAL MINES. « LONDON, May 12. The South Wales Ooal Conciliation Board has agreed to a reduction of V 4 per cent, in wages owing to a fall in the average celling price of coal. May 14. . A largely-attended meeting was held in Trafalgar square on behalf of the South Wales strikers' fund. A resolution was passed that, as the earnings of 20,000 pitmen working full time averaged under 21s weekly, a demand for nationalisation of mines and a statutory minimum wage of 28s a week be made. Mr Keir Hardie said that in future strikes were going to embrace the whole of the country. He was not sorry that the employers had combined, as that fact had knocked a little sense into some very thick heads. , TRAMWAY STRIKE IN JOHANNESBURG. JOHANNESBURG, May 12. The tramwaymen have struck. The situation in regard to the tramway strike is serious. The strikers are bearding the oars and stopping the traffic. Business is practically paralysed. The strikers demand the reinstatement of two tramwaymen. Glynn, their leader, was arrested, and this incident led tn a riot. May 14. The streets are being patrolled, barricades have been erected at the danger points, the "tram sheds are converted into a camp, and the military are ready to reinforce the police. Public opinion is against the strikers, owing to the inconvenience the strike has caused. Glynn, who was arrested, but admitted to bail, headed the strikers in attempting to rush the power station. Its stoppage would have plunged .the streets and shops and houses into darkness, in addition to stopping the trams. Mounted police are dispersed through the town. As the prisons are full, all others arrested are being taken to Fort Manly. Thu police w-ere on duty for' 36 hours. May 15.

The rioters attempted to stop the trams in Market square, but the police charged them with their batons, injuring several.

Two sticks of blasting gelatine and a detonator were discovered in the groove of a rail, but were removed before a tram passed.