INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS

Otago Witness, Issue 3510, 21 June 1921, Page 18

INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS

LABOUR IN AMERICA. NEW YORK, June 13. In a statement prior to the opening of the American Federation of Labour Convention at Denver (Colorado) Mr Samuel Camper.? (president) said that the convention will deal with the great postwar issues threatening organised Labour. The future was in the balance, and the die must he east one way cr another. The major problem is unemplovment. It is estimated that 5.000.000 are out of work. Other subjects for discussion will be the movement to crush Labour and to blast its spiiit by “open shop,"’ disarmament, and the Irish question. The Irish sympathisers are in two factions, and they demand American recognition of an Irish Republic* the of British troops, and the immediate payment of the British debt of nine billion dollars to America. AMERICAN MARINE ENGINEERS. NE\t YORK. June 13. Two big ocean liners, the Buckeye State and the Western Comet, were bad:y disabled. Marine strikers arc blamed. Th •> Buckeye State sailed for California with 155 passengers, but a fire broke out mid the ship is lying crippled off Chesapeake Bay, whence'she will put back to Baltimore. The strikers have rejected a six months’ agreement with a 15 per cent, reduction in wages. June 14. Though ( i' Marine Engineers’ Exeeutive has ligne i a new wage agreement with tho Skipping Board, accepting a 15 per cent, wage reduction, there will be no elimination or cvertim • until 1522. 1 ’ The marine engineers voted to uphold che agreement. They are returning to the Shipping Board’s vs els. R, Tor Is from other ports state that the men are returning there. The marine strike is still unsettled. Various lo< .! unions are voting on the executive’s action. There are indications that a split is likely to occur in the ranks. Private shipowners refuse to sign any Jgreement ensuring definite t rms for any period. AN IMPORTANT DECISION. LONDON, June V 4. Tho Appeal Court granted injunctions D two trade unionists, re-train In . their

respective unions from expelling them because of their participation in Lever Bros.’ co-partnership scheme for the benefit of their employees, thereby reversing Mr Justice Eve's previous decision that he had no jurisdiction. The Lord Chief Justice said that if the court did not hold jurisdiction over trade union expulsions it would be disastrous, and would leave trade unionists at the mercy of the dominating section within a union. Mr Justice Younger said the importance of the cases could not he exaggerated. Unjustifiable expulsions of trade unionists were little less than a sentence of industrial death. ENGINEERS’ WAGES. LONDON, June 14. After several meetings between the masters and the men in the engineering trade it was arranged that a ballot should be taken among the men on reductions in wages proposed by the masters. June 15. Negotiations in the engineering wages depute have come to a deadlock. Failing new developments to-day 1,500.000 men will be locked out at midnight to-night. I lie proposed reductions are equivalent to 16s weekly for artisan time-workers, 12s for labourers, and £1 for pieceworkers. ’I he employers agreed to extend the reduction period from June to September. I he men’s union requested a suspension of the lockout for a foilnighb to enable them to take a ballot : but the employers _ refused to ogle' to this, and a re also withdrawing the extension -period. I he men are anxious to avoid a stoppage, end will take a ba’lot, notw lilist uidum the he bout. The engineering employers are postponing the Jock out until the end of June in order to enable the unions in take a ballot regarding the employers' terms. wage reduction proposals. LONDON, June to. After an eight-hours’ sitting to-day, making 43 hours in ail, the cotton operatives’ delegates decided to recommend to their various executive.? to accept a reduction of .3s lOd in the pound in wages forthwith, and a further 7d at the end of Ox months. June 18. 'I lie cotton operatives at Manchester have ace-, jiled the. masters’ terms and will resume work on Monday'. An agreement lias been reached which will prevent a stoppage of the Yorkshire wool trade, involving 200,000 workers.

The agreement will operate until June, 1922, and provides for total wages’ reductions of 18Jr per cent., against 22§ per cent, which was the employers’ original proposal. UNEMPLOYED BENEFIT. LONDON, June 16. The House of Commons debated the reduction in unemployment benefits. Mr Clynes and other Labourites sharply criticised the proposals as dangerous and cruel. The Bill was read a second time by 214 votes to 83. RAND WORKERS. CAPETOWN. June 15. The possibility of serious trouble has arisen on the Rand owing to the joint executives of several unions deciding to resist the proposal of the Chamber of Mines to reduce wages by’ 3s per shift. SHEARERS’ DEMANDS. SYDNEY, June 17. Serious trouble threatens the pastoral industry. Mr Lambert, secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union, has issued an ultimatum that unless the pastoralists grant the union’s demands, consisting of the application of the Queensland shearers’ award to New South Wales, 30,000 shearers will (immediately strike. Mr Lambert states that a compulsory conference on June 9 the pastoralists refused to consider any agreement regulating the yvages and conditions for the coming season. The Queensland award provides £2 per 100 for shearers and £4 10s yveckly for shed bands, and a 44-hour yveek.