Should "Seagulls" Share Waterside Bonuses?

Chronicle (Levin), 23 March 1949, Page 7

Should "Seagulls" Share Waterside Bonuses?

AUCKLAND, March 22. Deeision was regerved by Mr. Justice Fair in the case in which three nonunion waterside' wo'rkers brought elaims for bonus payments against the Watertront Industry Commission (Mr. T. P. Cleary (of Wellington) and the New Zealand Waterside Workers ; Union (Mr. T. A. Gresson, of Christchurch) Plairitiffs, who were represented ■ by Messrs Henry and Sinclair, were Johu Alexander Banier and Edward Deed and James Duthie, and they elaimed that they were entitled tio share in the profits that had accrued under the cooperative contract system from September 15, 1942, to April 1, 1947. During that peribd the prolits were distfibiited to union menibers only. Continuing his address" Mr. Gresson said. that the Commission 's decisions not to include non-unionists in the bonus were not arbitrary, but there were praetical and historical reasons to aceount for them. The union. conceded that the regular 'IseagulP' had a moral claim to inclusion in the prolits, but it must always be remembered that whereas the registered unionist was obliged to report daily for work or incur a penalty the "seagull' had always ueinained free to elect whether he would talce another job or not. That was an important distinction. His Honour said it seemed to him merely an acadertiic one. Mr. Gresson said- the fact that u unionist did report regularly for work "placted him in a stronger moral position. he fact tliat the remits might appear to be with the non-.unionist did not conclude the matter, and he must ground his claim on a proper legal basis. His Honour said it sfcemed unusual :.!uit uuioriists shouid bc fightiug a claim of men whom they must admit were on practically the same footing as t'femseives. If non-unionists had a moral : laim it was !../ icu't to understand why the union cou'd n •* ,e some attempt .o meet it. .• Mr. Gresson "u>re was a very real praetical di. . -ity in the way of meeting the claim of regular non-union-'.sts. • After hearing further submissions the Judge reserved his deeision.