THE SHIPPING STRIKE

Otago Witness, Issue 3489, 25 January 1921, Page 25

THE SHIPPING STRIKE

ENGINEERS RECEIVE NOTICE. SYDNEY, January 18. The interstate steamship owners have given the engineers 48 hours’ notice that their services will not be required till after the strike is settled. SEAMEN DIRECTLY INVOLVED. MELBOURNE, January 18. It is unofficially stated that the shipowners have written to the Seamen’s Union in Sydney asking for certain undertakings with regard to the job control policy which has been adopted by the Union since the 1919 dispute. It is understood that they have asked for some guarantee with regard to the future actions and demands of the seamen. This changes the whole venue of the strike, and even if the stewards effect a settlement it is unlikely that the ships will be manned unlees an agreement is reached between the seamen ’ and the owners. ATTITUDE OF OWNERS. SYDNEY, January 19. As a result of the strike 76 vessels are laid up in the commonwealth, rendering idle between 70C0 and 8000 men. The Australian owners state that early in the dispute the London directors, who control the largest part of the ships, intimated that they had made up their minds that this should be the last of the ship ping industrial troubles in Australia, and as the Australian owners decided to make a final stand to secure peaceful working the vessels were laid up and a conference with the stewards refused. EARLY SETTLEMENT ANTICIPATED. MELBOURNE, January 20. As the result of secret negotiations between the Federal Government and a delegation of the union there is every reason to believe that the delegation will suggest the advisability of the stewards returning to work, and will outline the terms proposed for resumption. SYDNEY, January 20. Information received at the Trades Hall indicates an early' settlement of tho shipping dispute. It is suggested that the seamen intend giving a guarantee of the peaceful running of the interstate traffic. January 21. The Trades Hall officials announce that the stewards’ strike is drawing to a close. The Seamen’s Union has officially announced that it is prepared to man the ships on the conditions prevailing prior to the strike as soon as the stewards have reached a settlement or have declared the strike off. END EXPECTED THIS WEEK. SYDNEY, January 22. It is suggested in union circles that the stewards’ strike will end about the middle of next week. A mass meeting of stewards on Monday will take a ballot on the recommendation of the transport workers that work be resumed. MANUKA’S STEWARDS GIVE NOTICE. CHRISTCHURCH, January 19. When the Manuka arrived at Lyttelton this morning from Sydney, via Wellington, her stewards all gave 24 hours notice. The vessel will sail this evening for Wellington, where the stewards will leave her. The men are on the New Zealand intercolonial articles, and are quite within their rights in giving notice. They did not join cause with the Australian stewards when the Manuka was in Sydney recently, but though no explanation of their action is available, it is likely they are unwilling to cross the Tasman Sea again while the Australian strike is in progress. The Union Company will endeavour to obtain a new complement of stewards for the vessel at Wellington. MOERAKf AND TOFUA. SYDNEY, January 20. All the accommodation in the Moeraki, which sailed at 11 n.m. to-day, and the Tofua, which will sail on Saturday, for New Zealand is taken. STRIKE NOTICE WITHDRAWN. WELLINGTON, January 20. The Manuka had a shortage of half-a-dozen stewards when she arrived at Lyttelton. but four men who had signed off the Pakeha joined her. After giving 24 hours’ notice at Lyttelton, the stewards came on to Wellington, but subsequently they withdrew their notices. Three stewards from the Pakeha joined the New Zealand Union and remained on the Manuka, and the other left the vessel. Seven members of the Sydney Stewards’ Union signed off, and some New Zealand stewards took their places, but when the Manuka left Wellington for Sydney she was still half-a-dozen stewards short of her complement. A CURIOUS MISUNDERSTANDING. CHRISTCHURCH, January 19. The Home liner Pakeha signed off 31 stewards to-day, the men having been engaged only as far as Lyttelton. When tho Pakeha was signing on the stewards at Home there were hundreds of applications. Some of the Pakeha’s men to-day signed on the Manuka, but it is stated that they were not aware that the Manuka’s stewards had given notice when they signed on. They will have to make the round trip before they can sign off again. STRANDED NEW ZEALANDERS. There are still a large number of New Zealanders stranded in Sydney on account of the stewards’ strike, but two large batches are due to return early this week. These will come to Auckland and Welling-

ton. The Moeraki left Sydney on Thursday, and the Tofua on Saturday evening. Even when these steamers arrive there will still be a number of people stranded in the Now South Wales port, and it will probably be a fortnight or three weeks before the last of the stranded New Zealanders return