INDUSTRIAL UNREST

Otago Witness, Issue 3003, 4 October 1911, Page 33

INDUSTRIAL UNREST

THE IRISH RAILWAY STRIKE.

LONDON, September 26. The Irish strikers are depressed and many of them are resuming work, while •others are applying for reinstatement. . September 28. ■Despite the absence of cargoes, the Great Western {Railway Company is maintaining a steamboat service between Fishguard and Rosslare daily at a loss of £440. Efforts are being made to settle the strike on the basis of eliminating timber and allowing the railways to adjust the difference with the railwaymen apart from the Transporters' Union. The Great Southern Railway Company will receive a deputation of the men to-day. The Amalgamated Society of Railwaymen suggests that the men should relinquish boycotting blacklegs and that the companies should reinstate the strikers. Three hundred and forty men employed in the Great Southern Company's locomotive works at Limerick have been dis,charged. Four representatives of the Irish railways testified before the Railway Commission. The manager of the Midland and Great Western Company, referring to the Irish strike, said it seemed inconceivable that the Amalgamated Society of Railwaymen should have the power to paralyse the trade of the -country,.', and yet go unpunished. It was an unfortunate state of the law which ought to be remedied. '. The Irish strikers offered to withdraw •their-refusal to handle " blackleg" traffic. The directors replied that they were unable to discharge the men whom they had taken on during the strike,, though tine strikers would be reinstated directly there were vacancies. The Amalgamated Societies* Executive thereupon decided that the strike shall continue. There is an improved Irish train sew vice. THE RAILWAY DISPUTE. LONDON, October 1„ The Great Southern Railway Company offers to reinstate all the locomotive men amd also the great majority of the others. If this offer is not accepted, the company will engage a further number of new men. LOYALISTS PUNISHED. LONDON, September 29. Seventeen members of the Westinghouse Locomotive Society, Erewash Valley, have been expelled from their union because they remained loyal. to the Midland Railway Company during the recent strike. The treasurer, who is one of them, refuses to hand over the union'* money and books until he is legally compelled to do so. BRITISH RAILWAY COMMISSION. LONDON, September 27. Sir Guy G/ranet, testifying before th« Railway Commission, objected to the recognition of the unions on the ground of the sanctity of the contract entered into, embodying a. solemn bargain fo* seven years, and also owing to the impossibility of the unions securing obedience fr> the agreements or the observance of their own rules,. as had been seen at Liverpool, where Mr Williams and Mr Thomas found the men out of hand, and were compelled to swim with the stream or lose whatever influence they possessed, Mr Butter-worth, manager of the NorthSeptember 29. Eastern Railway Company, in testifying before the Railway, Commission, suggested that trade union funds should be liable for damages if a. strike took place con-; trary to agreements or the awards of th* Conciliation Board. _ ,

BOILERMAKERS' STRIKE. LONDON, September 27. On the Clyde the holders-on who etr-uci have resumed work pending a national conference of the Holders-on and Riveters' Unions. ',. . * \ . MINERS DISSATISFIED. -. LONDON, September 29. There are indications that individual miners' unions contemplate urging thfl Miners' Federation to secure a daily mini mum wage of 8s by a general strike if necessary this winter. September 30. The coal-owners and miners held a joint conference, but failed, to find a national basis for the settlement of wage* for abnormal working places. BRITISH POST OFFICE. LONDON, September 29. Mr Samuel received a- deputation from the National Committee of the Postal and Telegraph Associations, and reserved his decision until he had consulted his colleagues' regarding .a fresh inquiry into service conditions. He strongly warned the small and irresponsible minority against raising threats of a postal strike. He said that public opinion would require any Postmaster-general, whatever his party, to take steps to render a recurrence impossible, even if it might intensify the temporary dislocation inherent to the strike. A strike in the civil service was different owing to the higher degree of security of teniure;. hence there was a reciprocal obligation, not to -withdraw labour from the State.

STRIKE AT DEPTFORD. LONDON, September 26. Five hundred coal porters and dock hands at Deptford have struck. The trouble at Deptford is alleged to be due to the dock-owners not complying -with the recent award. Dockers elsewhere are disinclined to handle goods from the infected area. WAGGON-WORKERS ON STRIKE. LONDON, September 26. There was rioting at Swansea as a result of the waggon-workers' strike. The crowd at midnight invaded the works, and began smashing the contents. The women urged on some drunken men, who stripped to the waist and made an. assault on the caretakers. The police made a baton charge, and the crowd retreated, throwing stones as they went. Ten policemen were injured before order was restored. DUBLIN BAKERS' STRIKE. LONDON, September 27. The Dublin bakers have struck for an increase of Is a week. October 1. There have been serious bread riots in Dublin. Vans were attacked and overturned and the contents distributed among the starving women and children. DUBLIN, Septeml>er 29. All the small bakeries in Dublin are closed. There is great privation in the poorer districts. SOCLALISTkT ORATORY. LONDON, September 28. Mr Keir Hardie, speaking at Mountain Ash, declared that unless the railwaymen's demands were adjusted there would be a strike paralysing every line in Britain. If there was going to be trouble 133 the mines and on the railways it was advisable that both should strike together throughout the kingdom. Two days would suffice to secure colliers. Eight shillings as a day's minimum wage for railwaymen was a reasonable living wage. TEXTILE WORKERS' FEDERATION. LONDON, October 2. At a conference of the Lancashire textile workers at Huddersfield it was decided to federate with a view to taking common action in the event of strikes. The conference protested against the formation of a volunteer police force. ANOTHER DISPUTE. MELBOURNE, October 2. The engineers employed in the State coal mine have demanded an increase of Is 8d per shift. If their demand is not complied with they threaten to take drastic action. STRIKE IN AMERICA. NEW YORK, October 1. A strike has been declared by the American railway workshopmen. From 20,000 to 30,000 men are out throughout the country. OBJECTION TO LOWER RATES. SYDNEY, September 27. Trouble is threatened in the south coast collieries under the award given by the Wages Board after the last strike. For the past six months the selling price of coal has been 8s Bd, instead of 9s 2d. ;This involves a proportional reduction in the hewing rate, whereto the miners are strongly averse. A special meeting of the Delegate Board has been called. There is reason to believe that the board ■will vote against reduction. THE MOUNT LYELL STRIKE. HOBART, September 26. The Mount Lyell strike has paralysed trade in the district. The company claims that the question at issue is one of discipline. The eight-hour principle is not involved. The men's demands would mean an increase of £IOO,OOO to £150,000 per annum, which is considerably in excess of the total profits earned by the mines. 1_ Both sides are determined. The company declined the Premier's offer to arbitrate, ae it considers it futile, and cannot accept arbitration on the question of a discharged employee. September 27. Mr Little (secretary of the Miners' Union) strongly denies the statement by Mt Deakin that the Labour party brought about the Mount Lyell strike. He says that both sides tried to avoid the strike. He thinks the strike will not be of long duration. The strike pay amounts to £2OOO weekly. September 28. The Mount Lyell strike is extending. The moulders have ceased work, and the foundry is closed. A meeting of wharf labourers at Strahan decided not to handle any non-union ore or copper from the mines. The steamer -at present loading will be served, but only general cargo and union ore will be handled for subsequent vessels. The directors are firm, and intend to close the mines until the dispute is settled. The other side proposes to invoke the Arbitration Court. The waterside workers have refused to handle the cargoes of the steamers Warerata, Torea, and Morrawah, owing to the owner employing non-unionist crews. September 29. There is no improvement to report in the position at Mount Lyell. Fearing a lengthened straggle, many of the miners »r© leaving. The directors and officials of the mines are conferring.

September 30. The Mount Lyell men are invoking the Federal Arbitration Court to compel the company to confer. The company absolutely declines to reconsider the question | of the reinstatement of the dismissed man, and has refused to confer with the representatives of the Engineers' Associaiticn, October 2. The news that the engine-drivers were joining in the strike caused satisfaction among the miners, but the business places in the Lyell district are closing down, and .all who can are migrating. ! SYDNEY, September 29. 1 At the instance of the Minister of Public Works a conference of the two parties to the Lithgow strike will be held in Sydney to-day. THE LITHGOW STRIKE. • SYDNEY, September 26. Mr Carmichael, on behalf of the Government, is calling a conference of both patties in the Lithgow strike, with a view to arranging a settlement. Many of the ' strikers have already left the district. j September '2B. j The position at Lithgow is unchanged. Any prospect of a peaceful settlement now depends on the action of the Government, I which proposes to summon a conference, j Numbers of non-unionists, who were seeking work at Lithgow, have been induced not to start. September 30. The Hon. M. Carmichael, after interviews with both sides in the Lithgow dispute, stated that the parties were determined to abide in ■ the positions they ] had taken up. So far he had not been ' able to find any common ground whereon ! an arrangement might be based, but he . had not given up hope. October 2. Mr Dixon, the secretary of the Federated Ironworkers' Society, who was sen- ; teneed on September 19 to two months' j imprisonment in connection with the Lithgow strike, was released by the Minister of Justice (Mr Holman) on Saturday. Coincidently, Mr Holman left for a weekend holiday. The Herald suggests that the Ministerescorted DixOn to Lithgow to make sure i of his safe return. The paper proceeds to comment on what it terms the extraordinary effrontery of the action, " The liberating of Dixon passes comprehension. Laws, apparently, are operative only when they please the Minister of Justice. Why should there be any laws at all? Let us have straight-out anarchy, and b« honest." MELBOURNE, October 1. There- has been a serious development . in the Mount Lyell strike. The federated engine-drivers and firemen have decided to join the dispute, and intend to insist on the reinstatement of the deposed miner. The Waterside Workers' Association and the Wharf Labourers' Union have also determined to make common cause. NEW SOUTH WALES COLLIERIES. SYDNEY, September 28. The southern colliery proprietors announce that no reduction in the hewing rate is at present contemplated. A SHORT-LIVED STRIKE. MELBOURNE, September' 26. The Sunshine Harvester Company has put off 180 employees owing to a lack of material caused by the moulders' strike. It is stated that failing a settlement to-day a further 500 will be discharged. * \ The strike has collapsed, the company having agreed to remove the non-unionist complained of to a different department. DRIVERS AND FIREMEN. . MELBOURNE, October 2. The Engine-drivers and Firemen's Assoj ciation has notified the Mount Lyell Company that unless the terms of the arbitration award are conceded and the dismissed man reinstated they will cease work to-morrow. UNION FINED £IBO. PERTH, October 1. The Collie Miners' Association has been fined £IBO in connection with the recent strike. A STRIKE SETTLED. PERTH, October 2. The brickmakers' strike has been settled. NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE AFFECTED. WELLINGTON, September 29. Mr F. J. Shelton, Home representative of the New Zealnd Producers' Associaj tion, writing under date August 18, says : : —" The Smithfield market has settled down somewhat during the past week, but business is in a very unsatisfactory condition owing to the general uncertainty due to the strike. This present strike, combined with the continued ! hot weather, has caused a lot of attention to the cold storage question, which has much assisted to bridge over the food supply. In support of the report of the New Zealand Committee on the condition of the barges, Mr Shelton forwards a quotation from the Daily Telegraph which reads : ' The master lightermen have refused to allow their foremen to become members of the federation, their conteni tion being that in the event of a strike ! the foremen would have to come out, and the result would be serious. During the recent trouble, the foremen were work-

ing day and night pumping oat barges, which otherwise would have sunk.' " SEQUEL TO HIGHER WAGES. MASTERTON, September 29. The Wairarapa Age has been informed by the managing director of the Wellington Farmers' Meat Company that advice has just been received from the Port of London Authority and several London wharf, market, and storage linns that in consequence of the recent advance in wages an increase of 7£ per cent, is being made on all charges incurred on frozen meat and other produce as from August 14. This will mean a loss of ma.ny thousands to the producers of the Dominion. HIKURANGA STRIKE SETTLED. AUCKLAND, September 29. A temporary arrangement has been arrived at in connection with the strike which took place at the Northern Coal Company's mine at Hikurangi on Tuesday. The men yesterday returned to work, and a truce has been declared pending further negotiations with the company. About 100 men are employed in the mine, the output at present being about 6000 tons of coal per month. The strike was stated to be the outcome of long-outstanding . grievances, but this Colonel Holgate, general manager, denies, since the new agreement was only entered into last month, and was a mutual arrangement by which all differences were settled to the satisfaction of both parties, the union officials and the federation president expressing their satisfaction with the final arrangement between the parties concerned.