STEWARDS’ STRIKE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16330, 20 January 1921, Page 2

STEWARDS’ STRIKE.

SEVENTY-SIX VESSELS LAID UP.

OWNERS TO FIGHT TO FINISH 8v Telegraph— AsEOciation- CX'pyrignv Australian and X.Z. Cable Association. SYDNEY, January 39. | As a result of the strike seventy-six vessels are laid up in the Common- : wealth, rendering idle between seven I and eight thousand men. 1 Australian owners state that early n the dispute the London directors, who control the biggest part of the ships, intimated that they had road© up their j minds that this would be the last ol the shipping industrial troubles in Aus--1 tralia, and as the Australian owners had decided to make a final stand to secure peaceful working vessels were laid up and a conference with the stewards refusedMELBOURNE. January 19. It is reported that secret negotiations aro in progress for a settlement of the stewards’ strike nud that a Federal .Minister lias been in communication with both sides during the last few days. MANUKA’S STEWARDS GIVE UTILE. WILL LEAVE VESSEL AT WELLINGTON. j On tlie arrival of tlie -Manuka, at ; Lyttelton yesterday morning .'ll] of th© ; first and second grade stewards, com- ! prising the saloon and torecabin stew- | aids, handed in twenty-four hours’ noi lice to leave, which w’lll expire on the arrival of the vessel at Wellington this {. morning. ! When, questioned yesterday afternoon , regarding the action they had taken, ! members of the Stewards’ Union on th© ♦'hip stated that they had nothing to j say. The men are on the New Zealand 1 Intercolonial Articles, and are entitled I to sign off if they so desire at W ollingl ton. It could, not be ascertained whet Her their action was in sympathy ! with the Australian stewards. ! All manner of rumours were in circulation in Lyttelton yesterday. One | rumour was that exception had been taken to on© of the stewards bring I ‘’logged.” Another \v a* that seven of the men who :v»*e Australians, but had | signed on at Wellington, bad asked to i l>© signed off at Sydney, but, that the | request had been refused- and when they inquired if they would bn sent hack to Sydney at the company’s expense tliev were informed that they would - have to pay their own passages. A I bird rumour, and the one heard most frequently, was that the men were endeavouring to hold up or delay the two intercolonial steamers. Manuka and Moeraki, and so cut off the passenger traffic, TTnion CVunpanv official* could not. throw any light on ill© suhiect: hut it wn« stated flint an endeavour would he made to obtam © fresh complement- of stewards at Wellington to-day. Whoflier the stewards nr©‘obtained or not. it fi. not likolv to effect the sailing of +h© resell from Wellington, as the cooks have not signed off. or even intimater! that th-ev would do «o. 1+ is not thought likely that the stokehold hands will give any trouble. [Per Prkss Association. 1 WELLINGTON. January 19. In reference to the Manuka’s stewards the Union Company states that it is unaware of the circumstances. A number of .men. are expected to leave the vessel at Wellington. Tlie steamer is expected to leave even ii she has to do so with a skeleton crew. THE PAKEHA’S STEWARDS. The Vakcha signed off thirty-one stewards at Lyttelton yesterday who had signed on in. England with the intention of leaving the ship at Lyttelton. Four of these ivere secured by th© Union Company before the men were, apparently aware of the trouble.