LABOUR.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12898, 8 February 1906, Page 5

LABOUR.

&GBEAT STRIKE CONTEMPLAI^).

"tJnitiwr Preis . Teleg^hrT^jyiigfrt. Received 11.54 p.m., February 7th. February 7. The nnited mine-workers of America contemplate beginning in April, the" first strite involving the men at work on the J>itaminous arid anthracite, poetically stopping the entire coal--.production.''

THE MASTER-BAKERS' UNION.

Per Press Association.

WANGAjFTUT, ; February 7. The annuaE conference of the United Master-Bakers' Association k>f New Zealand resumed to-day. The subject of the Arbitration Court award was considered, and it was recommended to adopt the committee's report as follows(a) That this committee recommend that the delegates be requested to take note of tlie various good points of the various agreements and° endeavour to place them in all future awards with the men; (b) that, we consider the time is not opportune to endeavour to geta Xew Zealand award; (c) that it be recommended that clause 5 line 10 to the word "time" should be deleted from all future awards and in substitution add clause 15 of the South Canterbury award. Clause 15 reads as follows "In a bakehouse where the employer or son is employed he shall be deemed to rank as an employee, and shall sponge even* alternate Sunday or holiday with the "men '.n pay time, and a quarter to same, this rule not. tev apply to a. bakehouse, where a ioferaan is employed. 7 ' In regard to preferer.ee to unionists a motion was carried That- this conference use their utmost, endeavours to obtain entire preference to union masters, and that no union men shall work lor a non-union master.

With regard to the price of bread., it was

resolved that :sliding sc.'. c approved at. last conference be continued. It. was resohred that, it be a recommendation from this conference that all masterbakers should see that ali their Carters are insured under a sjiecial guarantee bond.

THE SEAMEN'S DISPUTE.

DUXEDIN. February 7.

A; 10-dayV fitting of the Arbitration CV.vai Mr Belcher continued his address, lie said that the prcterer.ee of employment clause had given rise- to more conj troversy than any other clause in the award of the Seamen's Union. Ever since rhe Arbitration Aa- had been in existence they had Ikch contending for the principle of preference of employment tor the Union's members. The Court had not thought fit to grant that to seaiutn, although there never had been any substantial reason advanced by the Court in refusing the request. The Seamen's Union had in the Cnion 96 per cent, of the men employed. No other organisation could say it had 25 per cent, of the workers of its particular trade in its Union. The hearing of the Seamen's dispute c;une to a close to-day. The case has occupied the Court for 25 days in various ports of the colony, and more than 70 witnesses have been examined.

The president, Mr Justice Chapman, intimated that the award would bo given shortly. He remarked that notwithstanding the strenuous struggle made by the parties in support of their respective interests, the beat spirit had been shown, and the case* had been conducted with, conspicuous ability. In connection with clothing trade it is probable tliat. a conference will be held, between, the employers affected and the representatives of ..' the Tailoresses Union in the hope of securing a working arrangement.