INDUSTRIAL TROUBLES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3556, 9 May 1922, Page 20

INDUSTRIAL TROUBLES.

THE (ENGINEERS’ DISPUTE. LONDON, May 3. The Vickers Company announce that its workmen returned to work at Barrow under the arrangement announced. In some branches the whole of the employees returned. Other firms make similar reports. Five hundred enginers marched to Firths’ works at Sheffield and forcibly prevented 100 men from accepting the employers’ terms. Firths have issued a statement that both the men and their families had been threatened, and therefore they did not advise the men to remain at work. May 5. A crowd at Barrow’ assaulted and injured several of Vickers’s engineers, who had returned to work. A large force of police is now escorting men from the trains to the works. May 6. After an inquiry lasting some days into the engineering lock-out, Mr Mackenzie, president, announced that, in view of the obvious reluctance of the parties to summon witnesses, it would be better if they would see if they could not reach an agreement by a renewal of negotiations. The inquiry was adjourned while the masters and men conferred. Finally it was announced that the negotiations had broken down. Mr Mackenzie will make a statement to-morrow. The Engineering Industrial Court has adjourned sine die. Mr Brownlie, on behalf of the men, condemned the employers’ offer to work individual contracts giving the employers unrestricted powers over the conditions, on the ground that it was an insidious attempt to sap the foundation of trade unionism. Sir Allan Smith contended that the union executives made overtime a political issue. He feared that the venom and vituperation shown during the hearing had damaged the cause of conciliation. THE SHIPYARD STRIKE. The shipyard strike has been called off, the men’s executive considering tint though the last ballot showed a majority against the masters’ offer, the. majority was too small to justify a continuance of the strike. FIREMEN’S UNION SECEDES. CAP ETOWN, May 5. The Engine-drivers’ and Firemen’s Union, which was one of the most important on the Band, has decided to secede from the Industrial Federation. This step is being token as the result of a ballot along .he reef and elsewhere. INOPPORTUNE TO STRIKE. SYDNEY, May 1. A conference of unions which had been called to consider the request by the Railway Commissioners that railway labourers should pass a medical test decided that the present time was inopportune to strike, as there were too man euneinployed, and the unions were not financially strong enough to stand a siege.

CANBERRA DISPUTE SETTLED. SYDNEY", May 2. Mr Hughes has agreed to the request of a deputation that the strikers at Canberra should return to work on the conditions which ruled prior to the Faster rates, and that the hours be referred to a tribunal for decision which will be accepted by both parties. The Canberra strikers have accepted the Prime Minister’s terms and returned to work. . OWNERS FARE BADLY. LONDON, May 2. Tlie South Wales coal position shows a marked improvement, though the owners continue to fare badly. The disposable surplus over standard profits for March amounted to £227,837, of which the owners are entitled under the settlement agreement to a 17 per cent, balance. This being insufficient to pay the agreed minimum wages, the owners have sacrificed their share of the surplus, also giving £171,371 from the standard profits, which has increased the loss since November to £1,300, 000. SHEARERS’ WAGES. MELBOURNE, May 6. In the claim by the Australian Workers’ Union against the Pastoralists’ Federal Council of Australia, Mr Justice Power has granted the 44 hour week to the shearers’ instead of 48 hours. This is the only victory for the union. Rates are rc duced from £2 to 30s per hundred ; shed hands are reduced from £4 10s a week with keep to £3 and keep for adults, and proportionate rates for youths and boys; woolpressers are reduced from 2s 8d to 2s a bale for greasy wool. A new feature is the daily rate for casuals employed less than a week, the rate being one-sixth of the weekly rate. Tlie judge explained that it was unfair to compel employers to pay a week’s wages to wanderers calling at stations for a