SACRIFICING THE RANK & FILE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1909, 18 November 1913, Page 6

SACRIFICING THE RANK & FILE

The strike leaders appear to be determined to sacrifice the rank and file of the various unions on strike regardless of results. In most cases the men are heartily sick of 'their idleness and are sensible enough to see that each day makes their position worse. With so many boats working at the wharves and quays it is impossible for the strike leaders, to persist with the deception that the handling of cargo is all "makebelieve.'' It has become apparent to the meanest intelligence that the work of the port is proceeding vigorously, aud that each day shows a marked advance towards normal. It is also being brought home to many of - the strikers that the statement that the vacancies which are being filled will in many caaca be pennant ently held is no idle threat. Yesterday another bunch of members of the old Waterside Workers' Union signed on as members of the new Arbitration Union, and went back to work, despite the efforts of the pickets to prevent them. It is now generally anticipated that the Federation of Labour will.commit the same blunder here as it did at Waihi—that is to say, sacrifice its followers by keeping them from going to work long after, the fight was lost, and thus allow all the vacant positions tp ba filled by persons coming from other parts, This policy may suit the leaders very well—they do not Ipse their jobs— but it is desperately harcl on their followers, who, in many cases, will be forced to leave Wellington to look for work. Many of the drivers also will .find themselves in a similar: position. The employers have not up to the present made any very energetic efforts to secure drivers to replace the men on strike it boine recognised that until cargo-working was in full swine the number offering would be sufficient. Now that- so many- men are working on the wharves., however, it will 'be necessary for the carrying companies to look round in other parts to secure more drivers, and this will mean that for every new man taken on one of the old drivers who went on strike will lose his chance of getting back to his old job. It is besoming increasingly plain that there is a very bad time ahead for many of the men who have been foil ish. enousrli to yield to the pressure of the leaders of the Federation of Labour, They arc not only losing good wages now. but they will have lost their jobs and will be out of work at a time when the after-effects of the strike are pinching the whole country. Curiously enough very few of thq strikers s«eni to realise the full penalty they must pay for the injury they hare done, and are continuing to do, the country. They seem to imagine that the worst that can happen to them is their immediate loss of wages. Theyt'o not appear to_ understand that the trade and business of the country cannot be dislocated without leaving injurious after-effects, and they do not seem to appreciate the fact- that in, the depression which must come the men out of work and the men. who have used up their savings will suffer most. If. the wholeof the .strikers in Wellington offered to go back to work to-day probably not more than two-thirds of them could get employment. Next Week, at the present rate of filling the. ' vacant positions, not' more than half ■ the men are likely to find their places open to them. And so it will go on from day to days each hour ; almost lessening the ■clia.noes of employment for the men on strike. Had the strike leaders a spark of feeling for the men they have led into this, trouble they would at once acknowledge the hopelessness o,f continuing the present struggle, i and thus enable this rank and file of their followers to seeure the positions now available to them. But, as in the case of Waihi, the strikers will be buoyed up with promises and basely deceived to the Very last. Some, of course, will- have the wisdom to see the folly of uselessly sacrificing, themselves, and will get back to work as speedily as possible, but there will be many who are too dull to see how they are being duped, or too timid to follow the course which their judgment and common sensedictate.