SHIPPING DISPUTE PRACTICALLY SETTLED

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 241, 12 May 1933, Page 5

SHIPPING DISPUTE PRACTICALLY SETTLED

RESULT OF CONFERENCE Smaller Cut and Old Conditions PAYING OFF NON-UNION CREWS Press AssoeWnn— Copyright. Wellington, May 11. The shipping dispute is practically settled. The conference of the parties framed a new agreement providing for a 2} per cent, cut instead of the proposed 5 per cent.., also for the continuation of the old conditions. The agreement has been ratified by the Wellington union and other centres are expected to follow. No official statement was made available to-day but it is reliably stated that that a complete agreement was arrived at on Wednesday by the committee of the interested parties which has been endeavouring to arrive at an agreement acceptable to the shipowners and the union, and that copies of this new proposed agreement were sent out that niriit to the four unions.

The Wellington union met to-day and accepted the new terms. The men at Auckland, Lyttelton and Dunedin will meet to-morrow. The crews will sign on the vessels to-morrow on the conditions which were in force when they were signed off, and these will remain in force until the end of this month. The 2\ per cent, cut will come into operation on June 1. Members of the Cooks and Stewards' Union will also sign on on the old terms.

It is understood the agreement reached bv the committee also included the paying off of all non-union crews engaged since the hold-up started. There are nearly 20 ships paid off at Wellington which wili be recommissioning, while there are. about 30 more at other ports. The ships at Wellington will recommission to-morrow, with the exception of the Monowai, which will leave next Thursday for Sydney after missing one round trip. The crew of the Nelson ferry steamer Matangi left Wellington to-night by the Maori. The Matangi has been laid up at Nelson for annual overhaul and will now resume running. The Arahura will lay up at Nelson.