WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 590, 19 August 1909, Page 9

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

CONFERENCE CONTINUED. THE HALF-HOLIDAY QUESTION. "CASUALS" AND.PERMANENT HANDS. The annual conference- of. tho New Zcalanr . Waterside Workers' Federation was. continue! 'yesterday,.Mr. J. Iteed (Lyttclton) presiding. Space for Shovelling Coal. Delegate resumed the' interrupted discus siori on the motion to ask the Government It I introduce legislation requiring more space tc bo given for men shovelling coal. ' An addi--0 tion to the motion was accepted 011 tho sugy gestiou of Mr. D.'M'Laren, M.P. (Wellington] to .the effect that representations- should, be :] made to the employers. . t The' motion, .-'as' amended,' was carried. ' • V t ■ S'* Hours. ■ '• s j Mr. J. Purvis'(Timaru) moved to mako the 1 working of six hours' at, a ' stretch optional 1 with the workers,-by substituting "may" for ' "shall" in the following- clause -in-waterside f workers' awards: "All men-shall work -six • hours if desired to'do so.", '- t '' This was seconded by Mr. J. Lamont (West--3 port), and supported by Mr. IT. Voyco (Lyttelton), ,who insisted that six - honrs without ] a-"snack" was ,to'o long. 110 foreshadowed, an i endeavour to niake four ''hours the: maximum stretch of work. . .Mr. D. Agnew said.. they..sonietimos had to work six hours at'Waiigautii on account of the J tide.. , ■ ~ . I'. . 1 Mr. D. M'Laron suggested the. following addition: "and-that "tho perio'd of timo to be . worked be counted from., the last preceding 1 meal-hour."- - .The motion was' carried. *•• • J Slings' and Snotters. V Mr. Purvis also moved:— 3 . That the/Government be requested to : 5 introduce legislation compelling a regula- - tionweight in slings and siiotters. "Wo propose," he said, "not. more than one t ton of bag stuff in one sling or suotter, or i fc loose bales or-3 dumps of woul iu 0110 sling 3 ov suotter." ■ v . " Mr.. I 1; M'Cann (Wellington) seconded the t motion, but insisted that no siiug should con- , tain more limn 12cwt." . Tho ■ iuotiou ivus carried.' - 1 .'• V- Tally Clerks. ' Mr. Purvis moved:— f That the conferenco urges all unions to " [. ; endeavour to. get all men in any way cm- 1, . ' pliiyed .in. connection , with waterside .work -t ' to become'members of the union. > Mr. J. Jackson (GreymoiitlO seconded the mor tion, and.related how. the union at Greymouth 5 had fought the 'question'and succeeded. Mr. M'Laren (Wellington) supported the 1110- • tion. The principle had been atiinnod at the J- last conference. ' ' .Mr.'A'.' L. Jones (Wellington) raised the question whether the tally clerks employed by the Wellington Harbour. Board should bo asked to ' join tjie uubn. Ho understood that nono of . the_".pernipuont of the board wero allowed to belong to a union. '..'l'ho ,'inotion'; was • carried. 1 ; Model iflgreoment Wanted. Air. H. Voyco. (Lytteiton) moved:— ' ' That the compilation of . awards and - 1 agreements submitted by .tho secretary' be., -•circulated among' the unions,. ' and that ■' they be requested to send in to ths executire suggestions for improvement, and from..' such a model set ,of claims lie set up with ''. . tho object of ultimately securing one agreement or award covering the whole of tho \ waterside workers in the. Dominion. Tho mover said the timo had arrived when they should try for a higher, rate of wages. The waterside workers' wages averaged only about 335. a week. It-was particularly casual work, r. Mr/ F. Lurch (Lyttelt.oll) alluded .to the'dari-, . ger 'rif the work as' another .reason why higher' . pay should be obtained. \- ■'Mr.'.A. L. JOnes (Wellington) said higher pay .was, required in Wellington tfian elsewhere ,011 account of the high cost of living, and high rents.. It proved ~tha.t living cost-45 per- cent, more 'ia Wellington than at any southern, port.'- ~ Delegates.:., Question! . '.Mr. Mfl.aren, in supporting" tho motion, said tho-purpose-was, to secure ono"..award; with variations to snit'locaV conditions. "Tho .proposal,, if adopted, would, greatly strengthen the hands of the federation. At present there was dissimilarity in matters wherein uniformity ' was: both possible and desirable. • : Tho motion was carried unanimously. , , Legal Opinions. Mr. D. M'Laren (Wellington) moved:— That the,unions, be .-.requested •to supply the secretary of the federation, with copies of.all legal "opinions on industrial questions that they possess,, with the 'purpose of.hav- -- ing-these compiled to serve for the useoosf s all.-the unions., ' ( This,was ssfonded by Mr. Bra ton' (Welling-, ton),; and carried "unanimously. . ■ Saturday Half-Holiday. •Mr.' M'Laren alrt) moved.—; \ . ■' '.ThaC:- the federation endeavour .to secure - an .ngreement'-with. all—emjalo.vers-to.tho ; condition that at nil ports in the Dominion; i .tho,.ordinary' .working time shall cease at : •' noon on Saturdays. - : Mr. .Bruton seconded, and several other delegates supported tho motion. Mr., A. L. moved an amendment :— , . That waterside workers throughout .the Dominion shall keep half-holidays, each • . union to select its own day.. Mr.. M'Canu. seconded this. . I . Mr'. Bruton;:Said that'if the same day wero observed at all ports, tho shipping companies . would -be'in a better position to make' arrangements'accordingly.- The unions'should seek to i causo'a!; little inconvenience as possible to Iho shipping, industry, which .was one of the .most important in tho Dominion. Mr. H Voyce (Lytteiton) supported tho motion, argued that the proper conrso would bo. to ask. .for the' Saturday half-holiday right ■out. , It seemed that what some„wantod was not thi.half-Holiday, but the extra money.The'amendment was lost, and the . motion was carried, with two dissentients. '• '..• ' . " ', Le'gal Advice. ' . Mr. V. M'Cann (Wellington) moved:—' ' That the conferenceadvises all the unions'to agree to retaining tho services of one legal adviser for . the whole of tho unions. •'-This was. seconded by Mr. A. L. Jones (Wellington), and carried' ■ Power of Discharge. '■ ,Mr. Jones also moved:— That steps bo' taken .to secure the position that the power of discharging men be limited to the ■ foreman in charge of tho job. . The worker, in the hold (said the mover) was now at the beck and call of anybody who happened to havo a brass button on his coat. Tho offieors, and 'especially tho junior .. officers, stood 011 their- dignity,' and would send a man off the ship for very little. Mr. J. Osborno, (GreymouHi) seconded tho motion. "Ho. told of an officer, who got a shovelful of coal down his back by accident, through going where lie was not expected, nnd then discharged the whole gang because some of the'n laughed. ,' Mr. J. Bruton (Wellington) said the officer.? did not interfere, with men engaged iu working coal at this port. . 1 . Tho motion was carried. Weight in Slings. Mr. D. M'Laren (Wellington) moved :— That-steps be taken to check men in holds making slings in excess of weights -provided under awards. Tho mover said that unfortunately tho spiri of unionism was not strong enough to proven men in some cases from filling up slings witl excess weight. Tlioy might,do "it for fun, 01 for' their' own advantage, but it should bi stopped.' The Wellington Union intended t< fine those offending in this way. Mr. D. Agnew (Wanganui) seconded the mo tion. 111 the course of further discussion, amnso ment was caiised by suggestions that sling; were overloaded as a "bluff," or because, foi some personal reason, a worker in the holt wantccl to give sonic particular man. on tin wharf a big load. Mr. A. L. Jones (Wellington) suggested thai overloading slings at this port was duo t< the system of "dumping" cargo on tho wharf adopted by the Harbour Board. Tho motion was carried. . > ■ Sleeping Accommodation. Mr. J. Bruton (Wellington) moved That tho employers be requested to ugreo to an adequate standard of accom- ■ modation for' .won employed on outport . work.

The mover said men under tho circumstances indicated were sometimes forced to sleep in tlio hunker,batches. They were treated with less consideration than horses. Sir:- D. Affncw (Waiignmii) seconded. Mr. 1). 31'jjaren (Wellington) said the matter would have to be dealt with ill tho awards. Several speakers spoke of'having had to sleep on deck, or in the coal bunkers, or on. tho wool. Mr. D.-Casey (Napier), said that on the.ShnwSavill .steamers' between Napier and Gisborne, • the men were, given saloon when thero .were lio passengers, and third-class 'otherwise. .He would support tho motion for tho sake of workers at other ports.The motion was carried. Oil' tho motion of Mr. J. Bruton (Wellington), the conference resolved:—. ' T]iat a claim bo made for equal overtim'e rates of pay for all men engaged in . outport work. "Casuals" and Permanent Hands. Mr. M'Laren (Wellington) moved That the confcrenco consider the compctition of constant hands excluding casual labourers from employment.The.mover said that at present tho competition of the permanent men in Wellington meant- that men not covered by the award, and engaged part of the time in clerical work, were, ■ employed at slack times to' tho 'exclusion of those who had .taken the' trouble to obtain an . award. :It might work out ultimately to the exclusion of all from the benefits of. tho award. The Harbour Board could, if it wished, whip tho union, out of existence, by putting on enough;.permanent' hands to do all the work. Ho resented tho manner-in which the board had treated . the representatives of tho union. The board had inade a trifling matter brought up .by one member of the deputation its'ex-' cuso for burking thp whole question. This system of keeping a staff of "select men" was a cause of trouble in tho ports of other coun-' ■ tries, and .it .urgently needed to be dealt with. Mr. J. Jackson (Greymouth) emphasised the vital importance of the matter. At Greymouth threats'had been made that if the union asked too much,, permanent hands would be put on to. do away with the, casuals altogether. He believed that what prevented that \threat 1 being carried into execution was the existence of the bar at Greymouth, which caused the wharf labour, to be particularly intermittent. Tho Railway, department '• had._ nevertheless, taken steps in the direction indicated. Tho discussion was interrupted by the adjournment of the conference, until 10 a.m. today.