SHIPS HELD UP.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 July 1925, Page 7

SHIPS HELD UP.

DEADLOCK IN AUSTRALIA, CONFERENCE OF PARTIES. NO DECISION REACHED YET. By Telegraph.---Press Assn. —Copyright. Received July 21, 10.55 p.m. Melbourne, July 21. The long awaited conference between representatives of the shipowners and the disaffected maritime unions sat for about two hours and then adjourned to a date to be fixed to enable the seamen to consider the owners* terms.

The owners demanded that job control be abandoned, that the present system of engaging men be abandoned, that fortnightly payments and stop-work meetings be abandoned, that men be picked up at a ship’s sides outside the picking up times at the marine office, and that a conciliation board be appointed to sit at Melbourne to settle disputes, these objects to be achieved by altering certain clauses of the old award. The undertaking that ;the clauses of the altered award will be observed is to be inserted in the articles, and the rates of pay of the old award are to be paid. The only outstanding points appear to be a desire on the part of the owners that they be • relieved from the anxieties and uncertainties which have tong hampered them through the tyrannies of job control, and on the part of the seamen that they secure all the advantages they enjoyed under the forfeited Arbitration Court award.

The transport group in Sydney, although still prepared to guarantee the terms of settlement agreed to by the Commonwealth Shipping Board, has definitely withdrawn from the negotiations.

All shipping activity in Sydney is at a standstill awaiting the result of the Melbourne conference, but generally the opinion is expressed that nothing will be known until the end of the week. Mr. Walsh said the seamen will have counter proposals to offer. He added that several portions of the owners' terms would not in any circumstances be accepted by the men. He concluded that they were quite prepared to relinquish job control, but wanted the owners to relinquish a little control of their job, too.

The chairman, in adjourning the conference, said they would adjourn until they heard from the seamen. The Federal executive of the Seamen’s Union will meet on Wednesday to consider the matter. It is expected an announcement will be made on Friday as to when the conference will meet again.