WATERSIDERS AND SHIPPING

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 49, 15 February 1944, Page 4

WATERSIDERS AND SHIPPING

Sir, —Re your report of the Whakatane Harbour Board meeting published in the Beacon of the Btij inst. we the undersigned members of the Auckland Waterside Workers Union take exception to the statement of the chairman in stating that waterside workers in Auckland refused to handle cargoes of Northern Coy boats, because of the better rates of. pay ruling i'or larger ships. We would advise the chairman to be more conversant with the facts. For the benefit of Mr Boon, his colleagues, and the public generally we would like to state the; position. Firstly the watersiders arc engage ed through a bureau system and have no option of picking and choosing their work. We have to go to the jobs that are allocated to us. Secondly there is no difference between the. Northern Steamship Coy boats rate of pay and that prevailing on other boats controlled by the Waterfront Control Commission, which is the constitutional author-, ity of the waterfront. The procedure adopted is. quite simple. The. work is portioned out in order of importance, and priority is given to boats with perishable cargo. The Northern Steamship Coy can work their boats from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. or till 10 p.m.. to a finish, but | have the right to finish their men at 5 p.m. That is a matter solely for the Shipping Company concerned and the Commission, and does not come under the Union's jurisdiction. The Waterside Workers, have enough to put up with in the way of long hours, dusty cargoes and dangerous work, without being accused of deliberately holding up farmers produce to work higher paid boats. The calumnies are. part of an organised drive by reactionary interests in which country Harbour Boards and Local Bodies make wild statements without ascertaining the facts, No cargo can be held up if the Shipping Coy and Commission want it worked. The Union's job is to do the work and keep to the Commission order. * As far as the war effort goes the amount ol" cargo handled on the Auekhmd waterfront during the last two years speak for itself. Hardly a week lias passed during that time in which a member of our organisation has not died, due to either a strained heart or other causes brought about by long hours and the nature of the work. Out of 2000 members' only 70 A grade men rc-t main, a lot whom have, two or more children, and are on temporary adjournments. We see reports at different times from Mr Boon and his ilk all over the country the object of which is to drive a wedge between the working farmer and the workers in in-, dustry. We arc both being exploited by the same interests, therefore it is time that we came together and. had a better understanding between us instead of being split up the reactionary. interests that are at work in our country to-day. We have writ-; ten this letter to clarify any dofibts that may exist in the minds of tlie public with .vgard to the actions of the Auckland Waterside Worker. Yours etc., M. J. BROWN, -A. MACNEILL, Members A.W.W.U.