INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 15, 30 December 1911, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

WIDE EFFECt OF THE COTTON STRIKE. WAREHOUSEMEN MAY BE IDLE. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, December 29. "The cotton strike threatens to idle five thousand Liverpool warehousemen. (Received 30, 8.0 a.m.) London, December 29. The strike and lock-out in Lancashire involves £-300,000 in wages weekly. DISSATISFIED MINERS. London, December 29. Two thousand miners at ireorchy (Wales) struck against the employment of non-unionists. The South Wales Miners’ federation recommend balloting and iavom a national stoppage unless a minimum wage is arranged in the meantime. NEWPORT TROUBLE. • (Received 30, 8.0 a.m.) London, December 29. The unionists working cargoes at Newport have suspended work for ie next few days until the Canadian transport is finished loading by nonunionists, with police protection. STRIKE CAUSERS EXPELLED. (Received 30, 9.35 a.m.) London, December 29. Riley and his wife, who were the cause of the Accrington strike, have ieen driven from the town by threats vf personal violence. SERIOUS POSITION AT PERTH. Perth, December 30. The position arising from tlie Fremantle lumpers’ striae is acute. Supplies of food are becoming depleted, unless the ■ strike is speedily settled a large number of workers wii! be dismissed. A conference ol himpei s and maritime employers was bell, Uit adjourned without definite result. MARINE ENGINEERS’ STRIKE. Dunedin, December 29. The position in regard to the engineers' dispute at lore Chalmers is practically unaltered. Moanwnile tiio overhaul of me Koonya is being proceeded with by the Union Company’s

.mure stair and tue snip’s engineers, ic as now stated emit tae men claim a minimum wage of 12s per clay, one shilling more tmm the existing award, winch came into force on auxiliary 2, with a curreficy of two years. The Union Company is bound; oy special provisions of award relating to hours of work, overtime, wages, etc. These provisions embody an agreement made with the union's representatives m Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin. The Arbitration Court was not rejponsiolc for them.

SLAUGHTER HANDS’ DEMANDS

Wellington, December 29. ■ This morning at 9 o’clock the offal hands at the • Heart Meat Works' Petorie, ;sent a demand to their manager for an increase jof threepence per hour in their pay, and intimated tnat they would cease work at once if a favourable reply was not at once given. At 9.30, tnoir demands nob having been complied with, they went out. During the afternoon negotiations were entered into with tiro directors and a settlement arrived at. The men resume to-morrow morning. The trouble arose over the contract system and the inequality of pay. The contract system has been abolished, and the money will be equally distributed among the men, with - a foreman to direct operations. . The strike at Petone was precipitated by the offal hands at the Wellington Meat Compaiiy’s works at Ngaiiauranga going out on the previous evening, their grievances being identipal wica the Petone men’s. Tney, however, were not so successful, and returned to work to-day under the old conditions. Several of their number were refused reinstatement. There is no union among the offal hands at either place. Mr. Corner, manager of the slaughtering department of the Gear Company, states that ho knows of no reason for the alleged discontent, as the men at both places received higher pay than those of any other freezing works in the Dominion.

WELLINGTON FERRIES COMPANY.

Wellington, Hccernbcr 29. Eleven employees of the Hrbour Ferries Company, accompanied by Mr Farland, secretary of tne Waterside Workers’ Union, met some of the directors of the company to-night with regard to the increased wages the men are claiming. Mr. Mabin, chairman of the company, pointed out that the men were now working under an award, and that they and the company were equally liable to penalties for breach of that award. The men had asked, at a day’s notice, for increases in wages involving the company in £llOO annually. The directors were unable to hold a full meeting of the Board, two members representing large interests in the company being absent from Wellington. The directors asked for fourteen days’ notice as provided for under the award, and were prepared to undertake that any alteration in wages that might be agreed upon should date from January 1. The directors, however, were determined not to give way at the point of the pistol. If the men created a breach of the award and walked off the ships to-morrow, the responsibility should ho on the men and not on the directors. '1 lie increased wages demanded would mean increased fares on the company’s boats or suspension of the company’s operations. Mr. Farland said that unless the directors were prepared to increase the wages there was no use the men waiting any longer. Mr. Farland and die men then walked out of the room.