WORK AND WAGES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5760, 2 January 1897, Page 6

WORK AND WAGES.

[Per Press Association.]

THREATENED STRIKE OF MARINE

ENGINEERS.

MELBOURNE, Jan. 1,

A shipping strike of a serious character is threatened in connection with tho wholo of the intercolonial steamers, the engineers having made certain demands upon the owners, with an ultimatum that if these are not granted, the agreement under which they are at present working'- will terminate to-day. The owners havo conceded all tho important demands, but decline to grant the whole of them till the engineers withdraw the notice of cancellation of their present agreement.

Within the last few months the Engineers' Association has raised a question as to the pay of engineers on steamers owned in England, over which charterers have no control. A demand was mado that the engineers of these steamers should be paid tho same rate as provided for in the agreement under which the engineers of local steamers work. A letter, also forwarded by the Engineers' Association to the owners, demanded a return to the rates of pay which prevailed in ISQO, and requested that steamers of two hundred horse-power and • over, running a distance of four hundred miles between terminal ports, should carry four engineers and a greaser on each watch ; further, that all shipping articles in the coastal and intercolonial trade must contain a twenty-four hours notice clause for home ports. The owners replied that they could not accept the engineers' reasons for terminating the agreement on Jan. 1, but were prepared to confer with representatives of the engineers on the whole question, provided that the notice were withdrawn. The engineers stated that they would only withdraw the notice subject to all their present demands being granted as from Jan. 1, further demands to be subject to conference.