A SALVAGE PROBLEM.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1844, 2 September 1913, Page 8

A SALVAGE PROBLEM.

THE DEVON'S CARGO. HARBOUR BOARD MEN REFUSE TO HANDLE IT. " PERMANENT" SUSPENDED. It would appear that the wreck of tho steamer Devon was only tho first chapter in a hook of misfortunes. A development took place yesterday when both '"casual" and "permanent" wharf labourers refused to unload the cargo salved by the steamer Awaroa and tho scow Eclio from tho Devon, on the score that it had been handled at tho wreck by free labour. This paralysed the. salvage work yesterday, although little could have been dono on account of the rather heavy sea running at the Heads. It will bo remembered that the Waterside Workers' Union men refused 2s. an hour ordinary and 3s. an hour 'overtime to work on the Devon, demanding ss. per hour, on the ground that tho work was arduous. Having tho union's men refusal to work, the agents engaged freo labour, and with it did excellent work on Saturday, salving no fewer than 1050 cases of oil and some machinery. This cargo was on board tho Awaroa and Echo at the Wool .Wharf, awaiting discharge, at 8 a.m. yesterday, but on labour being sought to dischargo tho cargo, noiie was forthcoming. The agents appealed to the Harbour Board —the body responsible for tho conveyance of cargo from tho ship's side to tho shed—and tho board, through its officials, asked a gang of eight men from its permanent staff to turn to at tho Awaroa. ' They refused to do so, and were immediately suspended, and at 1 p.m. a second gang of "permanents" (in the oinploy of the board the whole year through) was asked to work the Awaroa's cargo, and all, save one, refused, after a consultation with Captain Munro (wharfinger), and were suspended. The rest of tho permanent staff then waited on the secretary (Mr. H. Nicholls)' and tho wharfiinger and, after going into the pros and cons of tho whole matter Mr. Nicholls gavo tho men an hour to decide what action they were going to take —whether they would work tho Awaroa's cargo or not. The men held a meeting, and when tlio

timo limit was up their representatives informod tho secretary that they had decided to endorse the action of the fifteen men who had refused to work the Awaroa's cargo, whereupon the whole 65 permanent labourers on the staff of tho board were suspended. Is it a Breach of Agreement? Mr. Nicholls stated that tliero might be something in tho action of the union men were tho vessel outside tho limits of the harbour, but work inside tho harbour was governed b.y an agreement which, in liis opinion, tho men had broken. Clause 28 of agreement reads aa follows: — i . . "The essence of this agreement being that tho work of tho employers shall always prooeed in itho customary manner, and shall not on any account whatsoever bo impeded, it is agreed that if any dispute or differenco shall arise botween tho parties bound by this agreement, or any of them, whether as to its construction or meaning, or as to any ether matter' whatever arising out of, or connected therewith, every such disputo or difference, as the samo shall ariso shall be referred to a committeo to bo composed of three representatives •of tho union at tho port concerned and threo representatives of rtlio employers tor their decision. Tho decision of tho majority of tho committee shall bo binding, and if no decision is arrived at, tho committeo shall submit the point in dispute to somo independent person to bo chosen -.by it, and if- his decision is not ncceptablo to both parties, then tho matter shall be referred for further ne-, gotiation to tho New Zealand Federation of Labour and tho employer or employers concerned." Tho agreement from which the above quotation is taken continues in force until January 1, 1914. The "Permanents'" Risk. As far as the action of the permanent hands is concerned itJhe board's officers wero very surprised. • The men, it ■is urged, wero asked to do everyday work—work absolutely within their province—and their refusal to turn to, it is stated, has complicated the situation as far as salving cargo from tho Devon is concerned, and lias jeopardised their own position as members of tho Harbour Board's staff. These men have very special privileges. Their first uniform is given them free of charge, and for the others they only have to pay half the cost. They are entitled to sick pay, and get full pay if injured inthe service of the board. Further-' more, thoy have a superannuation fund towards which the board contributes .£65 for every £100 paid in by the men. They are paid a fixed-wage all the year round—busy times and slack. Recently they formed an association, but write to the board that it had no-

thing whatever to do with any union or federation. The Harbour Limits. Some doubt has .been created as to what are the harbour limits in the locality of tho Heads. This is clearly set out on the big maps 011 the walls of the Harbour Board's room, where an arc is described from a point' about half-way between Pencarrow ijnd Baring Heads 011 the eastern side of the entrance, to the West Beach, Island Bay, to the west. Tho "Gazette" notice describing the legal harbour limits details the line as "a circle three nautical miles from tho outer rock of Barrett's Reef. This leaves the Devon well within tho harbour limits, if not within tho harbour propor. Special Mooting of tho Board. ' A special meeting of the Harbour Board will be held at 10 a.m. to-day, to discuss the situation.