LABOUR DISPUTES

Otago Witness, Issue 3101, 20 August 1913, Page 27

LABOUR DISPUTES

PROGRESS IN A DECADE

SYDNEY, August 14

Figures which have been prepared by the Industrial Registrar show the following increases in weekly wages in New South Wales as compared with 1903 : Tailors, 10s; plumbers, 12s; painters, 15s ; farriers, 11s; labourers, 10s 6d; carpenters, 6s; plasterers, 12s; ironworkers’ assistants, 18s. The estimated average weekly increase is £368,444 —equal to 10s 6d per week for adult workers, involving a yearly increase of over £10,000,000 as compared with the 1903 rates.

August 15

Commenting on the increase in wages in New South Wales during the past decade the State Premier-(Mr Holman) pointed out that the purchasing power of the sovereign had depreciated by 4s 3d during the same period, hence the £3 a week now earned by a journeyman tailor was really worth only £2 7s 3d, against his wage of £2 10s a week of a decade ago.

COTTON FACTORIES IDLE. BARCELONA, August 14. Two hundred and thirty-eight cotton factories have shut down owing to a strike in which 22,000 workers have joined. Troops are guarding the railways, banks, and convents. A railway strike is threatened.

STRIKE IN MILAN

ROME, August 11

Troops are concentrating at Milan and occupying all strategic points in order to prevent the strikers from massing.

A thousand of the strikers who have criminal antecedents were imprisoned.

Some of the/ tramcars are running, strongly escortefl, and the authorities are ensuring a bread and gas service. Meetings of Syndicalists throughout the country decided to support a general strike if necessary.

Five hundred arrests were made at Milan, chiefly of dangerous characters, the object being to prevent the disorder from spreading. A majority of the working classes do not favour the Syndicalists, but are forced to abstain from work owing to the violent coercive methods of the minority. Many masters have preferred closing their factories to exposing them to attacks. An overwhelming force of troops, including artillery, hold all the strategic points at Milan, isolating the strikers to the workmen’s quarters. August 12. The strikers at Milan are gradually resuming work. An attempt to spread the strike centres has failed. August 13. The strike at Milan and elsewhere has been declared off. TROUBLE IN VANCOUVER DISTRICT. OTTAWA, August 14. There is serious rioting in the Vancouver mining centres. Three thousand strikers are involved, and attacks are being made on the police.

August 17. There have been 100 arrests of strikers, at Nanaimo. The police are camped in the streets with machine guns. There has been much disturbance, but little loss of life. It is believed that the back of the strike is now broken VANCOUVER., August 14. The militia now control the strike situation at Ladysmith, Nanaimo, and other Vancouver Island towns. The strikers besieged the strike-breakers in a tunnel for a whole night. They destroyed the mine buildings, flooded the mine workings, dynamited railway bridges, and committed other outrages. August 15. During the earlier stages of the ript at Nenimo the miners compelled the police to take refuge on steamers. They terrorised the town, and blew up a hut which had been occupied by the strike-breakers. RESISTING ARREST. NEW YORK, August 15. Serious rioting resulted through an attempt of the deputy sheriffs to make arrests in connection with the strike at the Calumet copper mine. The strikers resisted, and the deputies fired into the mob. It is reported that a number of miners were killed, and several deputies injured. WHEAT-HANDLERS’ STRIKE. SYDNEY, August 14. As an outcome of the Darling Harbour wheat-handling strike the Government has authorised the Industrial Commissioner to prosecute the Chief Commissioner of Railways tor failing to give notice of the intended change in employment in respect to wages and- hours. The wheat handlers’ strike has The Railway Commissioner has agreed to the reinstatement of the casual hands pending the hearing of a test case by the Industrial Court.

STRIKE AT BROKEN HILL. SYDNEY, August 14

Mr Justice Heydon nipped in the bud an intended general strike by shop and warehouse employees at Broken Hill tomorrow by granting an injunction against the president and secretary of the Labour Federation on a charge of instigating and aiding the strike.

August 15. The Broken Hill shop assistants struck to-day, despite yesterday’s injunction. Many of the shops are closed. ,

BERLIN, August 13. The dockyard strike at Hamburg, Stet tin, and Kiel has ended.