INDUSTRIAL UNREST

Otago Witness, Issue 3030, 10 April 1912, Page 27

INDUSTRIAL UNREST

SAILORS AND FIREMEN. LONDON, April 2. The National Sailors' and Firemen's Union is preparing demands, which will be presented in August, to secure the employment of an additional 20,000 men by eliminating 30GD Lascars and other Asiatics, and increasing the number of hands according to the size of the ships.

LOCK-OUT IN SCOTLAND. LONDON, April 4. Thirty thousand jute workers have been ]ocked-out at Dundee owing to the refusal of 5000 to return to work after a futile strike for an increase in wages. AMERICAN MINING DISPUTE. NEW YORK, April 1. One hundred thousand miners in the Pennsylvania coalfields have suspended work." Conferences between the owners are still proceeding, and a vote has yet to be taken by the miners whether a strike affecting the whole industry shall be declared or a suspension of work follow automatically as a consequence of the expiry of the men's agreements. April 2. The miners will take a referendum on April 10. The president of the Miners' Federation is hopeful of the resumption of work on April 20, this being due to the conciliatory attitude of the mine-owners. PHILADELPHIA, April 3A sentiment is developing among the striking miners favourable to an insistence on their demands for the recognition of trade unions. If these are refused the men threaten to prolong the strike indefinitely. There have been several fatal fights in the mining districts. Dynamite was used in one instance to intimidate the workers, but no one was killed. STRIKE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA. VANCOUVER, April 3. Six thousand railway construction workers in British Columbia have struck work in the interior. There have been several armed attacks on the men who have not struck, in order to intimidate them. Special forces of police are being despatched to preserve order. TROUBLE AT WONTHAGGI. MELBOURNE, April 4. The Stale coal mine at Wonthaggi has ceased work, as a result of the abolition of the second shift and the fixing of a hewing rate that is not acceptable to the miners. April 5. The trouble at the State coal mine has thrown 1000 men idle. THE NEWCASTLE CRISIS. SYDNEY, April 2. The Aberdare Extended mine-owners, who acceded to the men's request to abolish the afternoon shift, have given 400 men a fortnight's notice, as they are not required. The men are showing dissatisfaction, and trouble is anticipated. THE LITHGOW DISPUTE. SYDNEY, April 2. The Lithgow strikers by ballot have decided by a two to one majority to accept the proposed agreement. April 4. A section of the Lithgow strikers strongly oppose a settlement. A general meeting has been called to decide whether to accept it. April 6. An aggregate meeting of Cn-e Lithgow workers and miners will consider the question of resumption. A section is strongly against resuming until two non-unioniste have been removed. A ballot will be taken. THE BRISBANE STRIKE. BRISBANE, April 4. The Government is adopting the recommendations of the Board of Inquiry and is re-employing strikers, but on no account will loyal men be interfered wtih. WESTRALIAN RAILWAYMEN. PERTH, April 5. The award of the Arbitration Court in connection with the claims of the railway and mechanical engineers for increased wages does not exceed the rates offered by the Minister of Railways prior to the engineers striking. The claim for preference to unionists was not allowed. GISBORNE BUTCHERS" STRIKE. GTSBORNE, April 2. The butchers' strike continues. Both sides are firm. In tire meantime the shops are busy, people g-".i> g *-->r their meat. The position is unaltered as far as the possibility of a settlement is concerned, but the men have made a new move, and the- union announces that it has arranged to put two hawkers' carts orPlo deliver meat, with a view to studying the convenience of the townspeople. It is understood that the- union has arranged with two employers who have promised to supply meat for the carts. April 4. The butchers' strike is practically settled, four masters having accepted an agreement with a slight modification of the preference clause. Their men will return to work on Saturday.