WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 904, 25 August 1910, Page 5

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

REMITS EUETHEE CONSIDEEED. - , (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Uliristchurcli, August 23. The conference of delegates of the NewZealand Waterside Workers' Federation resumed to-day. • ' The following are the principal remits , dealt with':— "That for safety of men. employed better lighting be provided for ships' holds." Adopted. "That the Industrial Conciliation , and Arbitration Act ,be amended to enable nn.award of court to be made ill the following circumstances'.—That where iu, an industry carried on in various 'indus-' trial' districts 'throughout the Dominion' tlio workers are federated, the court shall liavo power, .on requisition of the parties or their representatives, to hear the dispute as a dispute governing every industrial district represented.by the parties, and to deliver: an award covering such industrial - districts.". The-'motion was curried unanimously. "That in view of the" fact'thai-no staudard wages have been'fixed in occupations" most affected, we urge upon the Government to prohibit the'importation of labour under, contract." Adopted.- " "That, all work cease on wharves between 10 p.m. and 7 a.ra!," was amended to read: .-'That- the, Government should be urged to bring down amendment to Harbour Act, providing that all work cease on wharves between 10 p.m. and 7- a.m. on live days'" a week, and at 12 o'clock, noon on , Saturdays till 7 a.m.. on iMondays." Canied, Napier and Gisborno delegates, dissenting, i "That it be' instruction to delegates that deputations from unions, wait on the employers in the, different.ports with reference to ' advisability of adopting safety hook in working-coal." ■ Adopted.; . "That the Government appoint inspectors to inspect gear, and other work connected with shipping-, of" each port; that inspectors• have, power' to. condemn any_'running or- standing gear or links, chain, chain-sling,' o'r liook noi; properly stamped;, also that' all liooks, chainslings, etc., shall be. tested and stamped once in every twelve., months." Carried , unanimously. Goodnll - (Greymouth) moved, and Jackson (Greymouth)-second-', cd, a resolution that the Government be urged to appoint members of AVate'rsido Workers' Unions to act as "check inspectors," such Inspectors to liave access to all gears.and plant used in waterside work. , Carried. '■■'■.■ ..'..■

"That in discharging coal not more than one gang bo allowed to work coalhatch unless there'is a space of. oveinine feet square to each man:" Carried.

• "That the Arbitration Act be" amended to'restrict.'the age for joining, the Waterside Workers' '■ Union ■to ■ twenty-one, years." Adopted.

"That the Government be urged to repeal clause's 3, part 4, of the'. Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and substitute clause li of the original Act," was unanimously- adoptcil, it being explained : that under the present clause 'the minimum number required to. form >i uniou was fifteen, but under clause 5 of the original Act the minimum was seven..' ■ . .:■

"That the attention of the . conference be/drawn to ' the necessity; in connection with .working in freezing .chambers of altering temperature from ."-seven t degrees to twelve- degrees above zero..in ships fitted with the Haslam system, and frjoni .twelve . degrees to- sixteen, degrees above zero in reference to other systems." Adopted.. . ■ \ . •'. ■

. A. Timaru. remit was:,"That the attention of l the conference be drawn-., to the fact that' this union desires that all employed in, connection with loading or •lischarging vessels on .waterfront be compelled to join unions." - -: Mr. Xovegrove moved as an. amendment;- "That all cstsual workers employed.' in connection vv'itli 'loading of 'discharging vessels "on various wharves' in the- Dominion 'be compelled- to liecome members of the Watersido AVorkers' Union.":. Mr. 'Jacfe ?on moved as ' a further amendment:"That no casual worker should be exempt from, the operation'., of \any .waterside, workers' award merely; because , he is tally-clerk\oli employee of the Railway Department," and .'after some discussion this amendment -was 'carried. " ■" : : ' ■ Christchurch: August 24. : . The conference of, the Waterside Workers' Federation' concluded; to-day. : . The committee set up' to.-draft a recommendation regarding the abolition of the system of '''dumping" , cargo reported, their recommendation, being: : that when new' awards, were being.'applied!.for the weight of slings should be fixed'.upon instead of the weight'of loads upon hand trucks. The recommendation was -adopted unanimously. '•.•■"-.■ ■'•■ " '" ■'..'■"

Mr. Jackson moved that steps should be taken by the executive to bring about an alliance between the New,. Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation and the Australian Waterside- Workers' Eederation, on lines, laid down at the ■ previous conference. The matter was', discussed in committee;-' and an • amendment was, car-, ried; that tho executive of: the'federation should keep the matter in .view and report to the next conference. . . : ...'"•.'■ , The, Auckland delegates submitted an extra remit in Hie form of aii amendment to the Shipping and Seamen Act. The proposed amendment provided .-that in the case of vessels not' registered in Now Zealand, and, having no'registered office in the Dominion, it should be deemed sufficient service of legal ■ documents and-claims if they were served'on tho master' of the vessel; or upon the firms acting as agents. It was pointed out that at present in such-cases servicehad to be made in the country of regis-. try, aud frequeutly hardship..was, caused by delay in cases of claims for compensation. _Tho remit was adopted uuani : UlOUsly. ' -.''■'' ■•■:.': Tho Auckland delegates introduced a complaint in connection with the action of Mr. Giles, Conciliation Commissioner, wherein it was alleged that he •overstepped tho bounds of/his juiisdiction. The Auckland award-provided that in the event.of a conference .between tho' waterside workers and employers .'failing to"'come to an agreement the ; conimis-; sioncr should have power to decide .the question of places for engaging labour, but gave him no further powers. The delegates who brought the matter up stated that they had- received word, that the commissioner.'-had decided upon places for engaging labour, and ,had, also',;given a decision that labour- could ~ be', transferred from'one job toi'anothcp. This,;it was contended,'would, have ■ a disastrous effect on tho water-front by nullifying the point regarding/fixed places for. en-' gaging labour. It was resolved , that, the Auckland Union should be advised to talto action- against the'commissioner./for breach of. award." ..-. . ./ Considerable discussion took place;'on tho question of supporting. Labour newspapers. Mr. Lovegrove moved, '-and Mr,' M'Carthy .seconded,, a mption. that' the secretary of tho New Zealand Waterside Workors' Federation be" instructed , to writo to Mr. Laracy and to-the "Weckly Herald,"- and any . other <Labour. paper, asking .'them" to- state . definitely which paper was to be made the Labour paper for. .the Dominion. Mr. Canham movedas an amendment that'various.unions be. recommended to moro energetically sup-port-Labour papers already in existence in New Zealand. > Mr. Dpwdall seconded tho. amendment, and said that what was wanted was a Dominion Labour paper, land not one run on local lines. Theamendment was carried by 24 votes to 3. The■-president mentioned that a telegram had been .received from tho Miners' Federation asking the conference .to consider the question of affiliating with it. It was unanimously 'decided that n'o actionshould bis taken* in ike'matter, as it had been already decided upon to join the Federation of Labour nt,-.pror;ounded by the Trades and Labour. Conference at Auckland, subject to a referendum being, favourable. : '.. : ■. . ,

• It wns decided by ballot that tile executive of the Lyttclton Union should.bo theexecutive of the New Zealand AVatwsidi) Wovkei'S' Federation for the'ensuing year. , - The election'of officers was then prciceoded'with;• Mr. John Jackson.(Greymouth) was unanimously elected as president.. The other officers ■ were: Vice-pre-sident, Mr. F. Lurch (Lyttelton); secretary, Mr. H. R, Voyce (Lyttclton); trea-' surer, Mr. Bate. (Lyttelton); organising secretary, Mr. D. M'Lareu, M.P.' ' ' ,Tlie question of the appointment "of trustees was loft to the 'incoming executive to deal with. ■ .■' : ■.■; '■' It was decided, after. some discussion, that the next conference should bo held at Auckland. The matter of fixing the dato of tho next conference was left iii abejv nnco. Several delegates expressed the view that no conference should be held ivext y«ap, and notice was given to amend the rulo providing that •the conference shduldbo held iuinnallj-. ■■:..' I . The conference concluded with votes-ofj tjiajiksvto-tho^retiring officers* -^