WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1330, 6 January 1912, Page 7

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

A COMING CONFERENCE.

. 4 raeet ! n 9 of tho Wellington Wharf Labourers Union was hold on Thursday evening, at which delegates were elected to represent the union at the Dominion Conference of wntersiders and their employers, which is to open in Wellington on January 10. . Tho following were appointedMr, JV. T. Young (stevedores' section),- Mr. H. Wallace , (eoal -department); Mr. L. Wovct (co & stnhand intcrKdoniaf); 3lr. I. Green (Harbour Board casual employees). Messrs. G. G Fnrland .(secretary) and G.- Bruce (assistantsecretary) wore'- also appointed as deleKates. Representatives are to attend from most of the principal Dominion ports, End the Now Zealand Federation of labour -mill be represented by Messrs. I'. Webb, of Grcymouth (president) and It. Semple, of Itunanga (organiser). Demands will be put forward at the conference by Wellington representatives on behalf of practically the. whole of the waterside workers in this port, except the permanent employees of fcllo Harbour Board. Foremen in the employ of tho Union Steam Ship Company and in the employ of tho various coal companies, hulk-keepers, and others come within the scope of tho proposed agreement.

By those who ore acting for tho water-, side employees this conference is looked upon as a distinct step in advance of anything that has gone before. Efforts will be made to evolve a Dominion agreement, and the prospects of doing this are considered to be brighter in a conference of this kind than if recourse had been, had to the Arbitration Court. The representatives of the men consider that there .will be no difficulty in arriving at an amicable 'agreement on better lines than have ever been obtainable under the Arbitration Act. Delegates to represent tho Wellington employers have not yet been appointed, but many shipping and other companies, besides Harbour Boards, will bo represented.'