UNIONISTS GOT BONUSES

Chronicle (Levin), 4 September 1947, Page 7

UNIONISTS GOT BONUSES

Press Assoctetzon)

'■ 1 o Non-Unionists Worked But Did Not Share

(Per

WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. "How these people love to paddle in the mud of hate against the workers," deelared the Postmaster-General, Mr. F. S. Hackett, of the Opposition dur- . ing an animated discussion in the House of Representatives this afternoon on the rights of "seagulls" to participate in honuses paid out by the Waterfront Commission for work performed on the wharves. Since April 1 of this year, the bonuses have been shared by \ nonunionists as well as by members of the Waterside Workers' • TJnion but the House was considering the petition of Lyttelton "seagulls" asking for a portion of the bonuses pdid out before that date. Mr. C. H. Ckapman (Wellington Central) rejxorted tlxat the Labour Bills Committee had no recommendation to make on the petition of G. Finlayson and others, of Christchurch, praying for partieipation in the proflts of the stevedoring contract- at Lyttelton. Mr. W. A. Sheat (Patea) said the position arose from the fact that work on the waterfront was performed not only by unionists but also by members of the non-unionists' union — "seagulls." The petition sought the right for those out.side the waterside Workers ' Union to share in the bonus payments. Since April 1 the bonuses had been shared by all waterfront workers but the grievance of the "seagulls" was that they had been denied a share in the bonuses from the time they were introduced in 1940 until April I this year. Just two years ago some Auckland "seagulls" lodged a siniilar petition and the Labour Bills Committee then recoxnmended the petition to the Government for favourable consideration. If that recommendation had been heeded promptly, Mr. Finlayson and those represexxted would not have needed to present the present petition vvhereas, because of the Government neglect of the inatter, they had been denied a share in the bonuses for another two years from 1945 to 1947. The "seagulls" helped earn the money froxn which tlxe bonuses were paid but the privileged members of the Waterside Workers' Union received their own share together with the share earned by the "seagulls" who got nothing. Mr. W. S. Goosman: That's private euterprise. Mr. Sheat said tne system followed until April 1 was the exploitation of workers by workers, of non-unionists by unionists, with the apparent blessing of the Government. The "seagulls" claimed that to ask them to work for less than union members was, in fact, to oblige them to scab. At the time the 1945 petition was discussed by the House it was stated that £665,000 had been paid out in honuses. This morning the committee had been told that the amount now exceeded £1,000,000 so that £400,000 had been paid out in approximately two years. The delay in giving effect to the committee 's previous request was iiiexcusable for the Government 's recent action in including the ' ' seagulls ' ' in bonus payments showed it was practicable to do so. The privileged monopolists of the ciosed Waterside Workers' Union had received money to which they were not entitled. Mr. Goosmiin said tlxe surprising position had arisen whereby soxxxe iuen received ino xi ey earned by otliers while those otliers were denied their just rights. The unionists had exercised that verv .acquisiti veness which the Government so often denounced. This was private euterprise at its worst. "I am amazed and disgusted that members on the Government benches do not rise in their places as one man to protest against this unfair mon°P°ly," said Mr. Goosman. Mr. llacket saul the Opposition, especially the members for Patea and Piako, Joi'ed to paddle in tlie mud of hate against the workers. The petition under discussion was actually presented to the House last year but ovving to the large number of petitions before the House, consideration of it had to be deferred until this year. In the meantime the Minister of Labour, to whoin 110 credit liad been given, had put into ojieration the system of including the "seagulls" in bonus payments. At tlxe time of the previous petition in 1945 some of the casual workers on the wharves were men who, iu their own oceupations, were earning up to £1599 yearly and came to the v\ aterfrout to make some more money some of them under assumed names to avoid payment of income tax. Under those conditions and because it was impossible to trace all of the 36,000 men then doing casual work on the Auckland waterfront alone, it would have been impossible to include all worke's in the bonuses. Now that waterfront conditions were stable enough to permit it, the Minister of Labour had applied the new system which was so elaborate that the Waterfront Commission had needed extra staff to check and calculate the payments to workers. Mr. A. S. Butherland (Hauraki) said justice had at last been obtaiued for the "seagulls" in that their request had been met since April 1. Ilowever, the position should be adjusted retrospectivelv. He knew of one man who worked on the Auckland waterfront, who on bonus dav received "nothino but a kiclc in the baek of the knee, " while a man who worked alougside him received £28. The " seagulls" were entitled to their share of fhe bonuses for past years and the money to pay them should be reclalmed from the unionists to wliom it had been unjustly paid. • Government nieniber: We will give you the job of colleeting it. Mr. Sutherland said a ciosed union was vvrong. If there was work on the New Zealand waterfront for 12,900 men, the meinbership of the union should not (ie restricted to 6000. Mr. T. L.hSkimier (Tamaki) said the Opposition had again been singing its hvinn of hate against tlie watersiders. ' The. position had already been rectilied by the introdiu'.tioii of * a system en- ! a/ling all waterfront "workers to parti- 1 cipate iu ihe bonuses. Much noise had been made about the sum of £665,000 : but; shared by all, it would put less f

than half-a-crown in tlie pocicets of some workers. Opposition voiees: It would put £100 in the pockets of others. Mr. Lkiniier said the committee had no option but to briug down tlie recommendation that it did. Mr. J. K. McAlpine (Selwyn) saicl the Governiuent should have' rectilied the position three years ago. A man who was earning £700 was just as eii titled to work on the waterfront and claim the bonus as anyone else. Mr. J. R. Marsliall '(^lt. Victoria) said everv nieniber of the committee v>as sympathetic with the case of peti tioner but for teclinical reasons the committee was uuabie to make a recommendation. Lvidence given to the committee showed that when vacancies occurred on the Dunedin waterfront only three or four non-unionists were admitted to the union. Opposition voice: Victimisation. Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Otago Ceutral) said the speecli made by the Post-master-General indicated that the job was too big for the Government and that view was also endorsed by the Member for Tamaki. The Government vvas full of zeal but it found the job just eould not be done. The situation vvas absolutely preposterous and the truth of the niatter was that it was Goyernment policy to keep a ciosed union and give protection to a section. Hon. A. McLagan said the Opposition 's sympathy for the "seagulls" came five months too late. The real ■ practical sympathy came froni the Government who savv to it that' the "seagulls" had been paid. Thq^position on the Dunedin waterfyont described by the Member for Mt. Victoria was ineorrect. Admissions to the union were made from those who followed the waterfront for their' livelihood. Mr. W. J. Sullivan (Bay of Plenty) supported the statements of the Member for Mt. Victoria apd added that he did not tliink anytliing could be done at this stage to crnce all who had Worked on the waterfront. Oue Government and three Opposition members spoke before Mr. Chap man who, in his replv, said tlie infe'renco of the remark? made by the Member for Patea was that the unionists took what should have lveen tlie share of non-unionists. That was incorrect. Tlie committee 's roport that it had ao recommendation to make was . idoptod, _