INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 55, 29 February 1912, Page 5

INDUSTRIAL UNREST.

ENGLISH COAL TROUBLE. (By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (United Press Association.) London, February 28. After the Premier’s address to the mining conference Mr Lloyd George answered several questions, including “Who would guarantee the minimum wage when a miner takes a contract?”

Messrs Edwards and Smelli, Labour M.P’s., outlined the men’s reasons Impressing for the concession of an individual minimum wage for each district, and stated that they were ready to consider the details afterwards. The Premier then intimated that the Government had devised a scheme dealing with the application of the principle of a minimum wage and asked the miners to appoint a committee to consider tiio matter.

The meeting of Cabinet Ministers and the Miners’ Committee lasted three hours. It is understood that the Government had groat difficulty in inducing the men’s representatives to consider the scheme, which is reported to he very novel in character. There is a consensus of opinion that tho Government has definitely decided that a minimum wage must be granted, in order to prevent some minors being victimised by being allotted abnormal places. The Government also desire that both sides shall undertake to allow the Government to act as umpire in the event of thoir failing to agree.

When the Premier approached the masters on Thursday ho suggested that the adoption of the minimum wage would affect only 25 per cent, of the men, and would not involve much increase in expenditure. Many owners denied this. Thirty-eight thousand miners are already striking including 17,000 in Wiltshire, where strikers stoned and threw bottles at a train which was taking miners to Chesterfield. The police dispersed the rioters.

THE DRAINAGE QUESTION

(Receive 29, 10.15 a.m.)

London, February 28

Mr Macpherson, chairman of the Mines and Drainage Commissioners, has appealed to the miners not to allow themselves to lie dragged at the heels of South Wales when there is no dispute elsewhere. He adds that in the event of a strike the majority of the mines in the drainage area will lie flooded beyond recovery.

POSITION AT BRISBANE

Brisbane, February 28

Mr Coyne, addressing the" strikers, s.dfl that the’trnmwaymen’s.battle was won. It only.jfeihained now to see that an honourable retreat was made. If the employers' 'Alere prepared to deal with them on lines honourable to a settlement the . Strike Cojuniitt.ee

would be prepared to meet them. He would probably be able to make a statement to-morrow.

STEAMER’S CREW PAID OFF

Sydney, February £S,

Owing to the wharf labourers holding up.the stchlnef' ArawattsxjU tinowners have withdraAvn the crew and paid thein off. The wharf labourers also held up the steamers Monrilyan and Woollowra. alleged to be carrying a non-union Queensland cargo.

BADGE DECISION APPEAL

Adelaide, February 28,

The Tramway Trust will appeal tc the High Court against Mr Justice Hi ggins’ decision. I

SYNDICALIST LITERATURE,

(Received 29, 8.5 a.m.) London, February 2G

The Aldershot handbill was a reprint from the first number of the monthly journal “Syndicalist,” published as a successor to Turn Mannh pamphlet on syndicalism. The non journal’s object is to prepare the waj rapidly for a general strike of international proportions. It fixes -or, 1913 as a trade boom year to effectively resist the encroachment oi ■capitalists.

HOTEL STRIKE SETTLED

(Received 29, 9.15 a.m.) Sydney, February 29

The Broken Hill strike has Leo" settled, the men’s claims being granted.

A PEACE MESSENGER

(Received 29, 9.15 a.m.f Brisbane, February 29

.A delegate from the Sydney Wharf Labourers’ Union, addressing a meet ing, declared that lie had been sent to try to arrange an amicable settle-

ment. The waterside workers were prepared to open all ports in Australia if the employers promised rot to victimise strikers.

STRIKE HIGHLY PROBABLE AT AUCKLAND.

Auckland, February 2S

There seems to be every prospect of an immediate general strike, probably on an extensive scale, in the Auckland district. The men have threatened it, and the employers do not seem over-anxious to avert it—probably from the belief that the sooner it conics tin l better, since every advance made by the Federation of Labour, which is at the back of the trouble, means increased difficulty in settlement. Thus a’ strike now may be settled much easier than one in a year's time, when the organisation of the federation is more complete. Briefly, the history of the dispute is this:—The (General Labourers’ Union ha« submitted to the City Council, to

other local bodies, and to different

employers’ associations, certain proposals embodying improved conditions of labour (for tunnel workers and otcers), with higher wages, and, in certain instances of wet work, shorter hours. In the first place, the union officials asked to bo met by the employes to discuss these proposals. The employers refused to discuss anything with the union unless through the medium of the Conciliation Court and the Arbitration Court. The City Council after much delay (which was favourably interpreted by the union to mean a redress, to grant the conference asked for), ultimately took up j the same attitude as the other employees. They all refused to have any dealings with the men whatever, except through the machinery of the Arbitration Act. Now, it is clearly recognised that this method of conciliation is closed to the General Labourers’ Union, which is affiliated to! the Federation of Labour, an organisation legally constituted under the Trades Union Act and outside the scope of the Arbitration Court. The invitation of the employers to the General Labourers’ Union is clearly to cut adrift from the Federation of Labour and to register under the Arbitration Act. Acceptance of such an invitation is beyond the limits of proliability at the present stage of industrial evolution in New Zealand. Having vainly tried to secure the much-desired conference, the General Labourers’ Union passed the control of the situation, so far as they wore concerned, over to the Federation of Labour.

Mr P. C. Webb and Mr J. Clover ('president and secretary respectively of the Federation of Labour) have today been trying to get into touch .with the City Council and the other employers, to ask officially that a conference be granted to discuss the proposals put forward by the General Labourers’ Union. They bespoke the good offices of the Hon. C. Fowlds to act as mediator, and Mr Fowlds accordingly approached the Mayor with a request that the City Council should receive the federation delegates. The Mayor has refused to grant this request, and has taken up the attitude that a conference may be granted only in the Conciliation Commissioner’s chamber or in the Arbitration Court, and, as has been already pointed out, this way is not open to the Federation of Labour, a deadlock has been reached. The employers have refused to meet the men, except under the Arbitration Act; the men registered under the Trades Union Act have refused to register under the Arbitration Act. The federation claims that it has settled all previous disputes referred to it in an amicable way. The Auckland ’em-, plovers have set them a problem that apparently cannot bo settled. A large meeting of waterside workers passed a strongly-worded resolution condemning the action of the City Council in connection with the dispute with the general labourers, and calling upon the council and all publicly elected local bodies to reconsider their decision not to receive representatives of the federation, and to refuse to incur the responsibility of widespread trouble. It is stated on good authority that tlsere is a possibility of a general labourers’ strike to-morroAv.