WHARF WORK HUNG UP.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1341, 19 January 1912, Page 4

WHARF WORK HUNG UP.

CAKGO MEN'S ASTONISniNG MOVE, Displayed on the Wellington Wharf Labourers' nut.ice beard at the head of the Queen's Wharf, there appeared yesterday a notice which attracted a good deal of attention, coming as it did just alter the cargo congress. 'Jlio notico read as follows:-: A special meeting of the union (Wellington Wharf Labourers' Industrial Union of Workers) will Iro held in the waiting room to-morrow (Friday), at 10 a.m. Business: (a) To receive officers of the New Zealand Federation of Labour and delegates, (b) To receive ami adopt new agreement, (e) To elect local committee (d) General. President, ,1. Carr, Jun, (Signed) Geo. G. Farland, Secretary. The effect of the notice is that all wort 011 the Wellington wharves is to cease today from 1U a.m. The length of time to be taken by the nivcting has not beea stated, but is is understood thaf'thebusilress" will occupy about two hours, possibly three. To those who know anything about tho working of the wharves, this means a serious delay to ships and shipping, beeaui-o the hours chosen are recognised as busy ones iu the day's round. Several shipping people, when asked for an opinion regarding this stoppage of work (hiring the middle of the day, were rather emphatic in protest. One well-known shipping man said: "I think that things are coming to a pretty . state when a body of men can stop tho whole of the work on the wharves for two of the best working hour's of the day, ; simply because they want to hold a meot- • ing to discuss things in general. Why t cannot they meet during the evening? . Even if they knocked off at -4 o'clock in. t the. afternoon and held their meeting, it ; would not be so bad. But to knock off at the time stated—well, all 1 can say is . that it is red hot." Another said: "At one time these meetings were always held in the evening, or during lunch hour. It is only quite recently that theso new-fangled ideas have v been introduced, and we arc getting about f tired of it. It is ridiculous that these ' men should lie allowed to have the power J to hang up tho work on the Wellington, wharves just to suit their own conveni- ; once. It is time that something was done to stop it."