LABOUR.

Timaru Herald, Issue 170307, 30 August 1920, Page 7

LABOUR.

BRITISH MINERS.

BALLOTING ON A STRIKE. By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. Australian nnd N.Z- Coble Assn. LONDON, August 26. Though the first bAllo&s show sweeping n-.hjorities in favour of a coal strike, the crisis has entered on a more hopeful phase. Trade Union opinion is generally hardening against a strike. It is pointed out that if £'l a. week is paid the miners as strike pay the funds will be exhausted in three weeks.

Mr Arthur Henderson, M.P., urges that the issue between the miners and tho Government is not really nationalisation, but wages, as affected by the increased cost of living, which, lis declarer. is a negotiable proposition. VOTE FOII A STRIKE. Received 5-5 p.m., August 29thi. LONDON, August 27. The Smith Wales . ballot resulted:— 143,471 iu favour of a strike, 42.013 against.

■Sir Robert Home will meet the leaders of the Triple Alliance on Tuesday.

Although the miners' ballot will give more than the requisite two-thirds majority for a strike there is an unexpectedly substantial vote against a strike, particularly in Yorkshire Nottingham and Northumberland. This fact is influencing the leaders, who are anxious to iind a way because other unions are generally opposed to a coal strike, as it 'would cause wide-spread unemployment.

STOKEHOLD CREW DISPUTE.

SYDNEY, August 28. Three inter-State vessels are idle owing to the owners refusing the demand for additional trimmers. The vessels concerned are the Bokhara, Fiona and Time.

N.Z. SUGAR WORKS

REFINERS ON STRIKE.

Per Press Association.

AUCKLAND, August 27. The Chelsea, sugar factory was ready for resumption of refining operations on Friday, but the men decLiued to return to work. At a general meeting the men determined not to return to work until live points conceded by the Board of Trade' at a recent conference were embodied in any award the Court might n-ike. These concessions provided for 44liour week, conditionally upon the output being sufficient to meet the company's contract with the Government; also a minimum weekly wage* of £4 4s, seven holidays yearly on full pay, overtime at timo and a-hnlf for thre*> ihours, and double thereafter, and-retrospective pay as from July 1.

A SEQUEL TO JOCKEYS' STRIKE

In giving his decision in the case against twenty-two • men of the Mokoia's crew, Mr Cutten, S.M., at Auckland, said that the point that) the ship was delayed only half an hour was not important point. The men's action caused Sir George Clifford to leave the vessel and they held up the boat, until they got their own -way in a matter which had very little to do with them. They took an extremely serious course on extremely inadequate grounds. Mr Cutten imposed a penalty of £5 against W I 1 ighc, leaving the others* to stand over, as suggested by counsel, pending a.n appeal, on the ground that no orders had bo'en disobeyed, and the statute did not say that, a threat to strike constituted a strike.