INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS

Otago Witness, Issue 3513, 12 July 1921, Page 14

INDUSTRIAL AFFAIRS

INDUSTRIAL STRIKE CONDEMNED. LONDON, July 4. Mr J. JL Thomas (secretary of the National Union of Railwaymen), speaking at- the annual conference of the National Union of Railwaymen, urged the railwaymen to grasp the lesson of the coal strike. He said that rumours were prevalent that the railwaymen must ore pare for another strike, but the real lesson for them and ail others was that they must settle down. The trade union policy which checked the sou - e of credit was a mistake. ‘ it is mistakenly explained that industrial strife is the first step toward the realisation of an industrial commonwealth. but those countenancing this will find it an inheritance not worth inheriting.” lie saw no warrant for the belief that another crisis would follow railway decontrol in August. REDUCING WAGES. LONDON, July 5 The Portsmouth Industrial Court will reduce the dockyard workers’ wages by three shillings in July and another three shillings in September, with proportionate piece rate reductions. Ten thousand piano workers have signed an agreement for a 47-hours’ week, two shillings per hour to be paid to crafts-

men until the cost of living falls below 100 per cent. UNEMPLOYED IN ENGLAND. LONDON, July 3. The unemployed now registered number 2,168,727, being 9172 below the previous week, which is the first decrease in eight months. The decrease is due to a slight revival of industry, resulting from the settlement of the coal strike. SOUTH AFRICAN UNEMPLOYED. CAPETOWN, July 8. The prevailing state of unemployment was rudely brought- before the attention of the Assembly this afternoon, when a number of ex-service men and others entered the gallery. The leader shouted : "I have been asked to draw attention to the fact that there arc 2500 people in Capetown who are short of bread.” Other interruptions, such as “Stop talking! Give us work and food!” followed until the gallery was cleared. RAILWAYMEN’S CONFERENCE. LONDON, July 6. At the National Railway Union' Conference the Executive’s motion to remove Mr J- C‘. Thomas from the supreme headship of the union was defeated by 57 votes to 17. Air Thomas, addressing the conference, said that what the organisation needed was the re-affirmation of the belief in State ownership as the only permanent solution of the railway problem. They were faced with the decontrol of the railways on August 15. It was absolutely certain that some railways would not pay n dividend nor would they pay pre-war wages. He saw nothing in the situation that would warrant- the assumption that there would be a strike. The conference is heatedly discussing in camera the action in calling off the Triple Alliance strike. A HEATED DISCUSSION. LONDON, July 7. The Raihvaymen's Conference heatedly discussed the action in connection with the strike. A good deal of vituperation was hurled at the executive by the extremists. The secretary declared that the trouble was entirely due to the incapacity of the Miners’ Executive to accept the opportunity offered it. Eventually the

conference overwhelmingly endorsed tha action of Mr J. L. Thomas and the executive in calling off the strike. BERLIN'S MUNICIPAL SERVICES. BERLIN, July 8. Owing to their failure to secure better wages and working conditions, ihe gas, electrical, waterworks, and tramway workers are preparing to strike. There is also considerable unrest among the telegraph and telephone operators. AU STR ALI AN L ABOU R. SYDNEY, July 8. The Federated Seamen’s Union is claiming increased wages. The claims filed in the Federal Arbitration Court are as follows: —Seamen, £2O per month and keep; firemen, £2l and keep. Ihe Forty-four Hours’ Court agreed to a week of forty-four hours in the following industries : —Coachbuilding (excepting motor car body-building), malthouse employees, bridge carpenters, paper mill workers, railway mechanics, and broom and brush workers. July 9. During the hearing of a case in the Industrial Arbitration Court Air Justice Curlewis stated that if the Board of Trade decreased the living wage he would decrease the wages of all the employees coming before him accordingly. NEWCASTLE, July 9. A combined meeting of miners’ lodges rejected a resolution emanating from the council of the Miners’ Federation to the effect that, in the event of failure by the Coal Tribunal to grant a six-hour working day, the federation should consider the question of taking over the mines. BRISBANE, July 5. A conference at Rockhampton between the Mount Morgan directors and the union s representatives proved abortive, the latter rejecting the offer of a sliding scale of wages, involving a reduction of 4s weekly. The Mount Morgan employees denounced the action of their delegates in rejecting the company’s offer, and virtually accepted the terms. A ballot is desired.