at
2
9.9.47.
41
The representatives said that they were not representing only the workers in the Dockyards but also those in other concerns, and that they must approach the other employers before reaching a settlement with the Dockyards. They also doubted whether the monthly paid workers and fogomon would return to work unless they were included in the settlement.
The Dockyard Employers then explained that their negotiations must remain limited to the 13 Trades represented by the C.E.I. who were working on a time basis within the scale to which the discussions had been confined from the outset,
but they would not hold the C.E.I. responsible if the other grades and Trades did not return to work. However they pointed out that they had already stated that other grades would receive appropriate incrcases.
The representativos of the C.E.I. were still not prepared to say that their offer to the Employers of a 50% rise would carry with it a settlement of the strike so far as the trades they represented were concerned, and enquired whether all men would be taken back at once.
·
The European Dockyard Employers said that there would be no victimisa- tion but that it must recognised as a fact that the strike had resulted in a decrease in the work on hand and conscquently there would be a number of workers who could not immediately be re-employed, They did, however, guarantee that every effort would be made to takô back as many workers as possible at once, and to take them all back as soon as work became available. The Employers stressed that the longer the strike went on, the greater would be the unemployment at the end of it.
At this stage the representatives of the C.E.I. said that they thought a settlement of the strike would be impossible unless the Employers would gunran- tee
to take back all the workers immediately. The Employers regretted that they could not give this guarantee, but they undertook to do their very best to take back as many as possible at once, and the remainder, (which would be comparatively for), as soon as work becomes available. (Investigations since the mecting show that as an overall percentage it should be possible to take back immediately. approximately 95% of those who are now on strike)..
As no further headiny could then be made the Employers said that their offor of 45% increase of basic wages, representing (a) 20% regrading allowance and (b) 253 in lieu of any increase in Rehabilitation allowance or the establish- ment of an additioml sliding scale, rounded off to whole cents to the advantage of the workers, was still in force and they strongly recommended that further·· consideration be given to its early acceptance.
(sa) c. L. ROBERTSON,
Commodore,
On behalf of the European Dockyards.