SHIPPING DISPUTE ENDS SUDDENLY

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 143, 18 June 1931, Page 2

SHIPPING DISPUTE ENDS SUDDENLY

COOKS AND STEWARDS HAVE SIGNED ARTICLES. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, June 17. The dispute between the shipping companies and the Cooks and Stewards’ Union ended to-day with dramatic suddenness. At a meeting this morning the men decided to sign the new articles, which embody alO ''per cent reduction in wages, pending the result of an application they have filed with the Arbitration Court asking for their exclusion from the Cotlrt’s general orders. As a result of the men’s decision articles are being signed on all ships affected. Mr E. Kennedy, secretary of the union, claimed that in the present dispute the employers had gone back on the attitude of their representative at 1 he Arbitration Court, and had endea/lured to maintain that the award was > binding contract of service. Thus when the men had refused to accept the 10 per cent reduction in wages they were given twenty-four hours’ notice of dismissal. It looked as if the employers talked one way before the Court and now were talking the reverse way. The shipping companies preferred to make no statement bn the position. The Makura sailed at 3.5 p.m. for San Francisco. GALE LEAVES TIMARU. (Special to the “ Star.”) TIMARU, June 17. The Gale sailed late this afternoon for Dunedin to load for Wellington and Wanganui. SERVICES RESUMED. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, June 17. All vessels in port which had been beM up pending the decision of the cooks and stewards regarding the wages rut are resuming their services. Ihe VYaimea sails for East Coast ports to-morrow, the Kiwitea for Grevmoutb and the Kaimanawa for Westport. The local coastal fleet is again at sea.