TALLY CLERK'S UNION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1650, 6 January 1914, Page 9

TALLY CLERK'S UNION.

VUH PilOlL-lIiNG

', A committee of tho newly-formed Taily O'er Us' Union has drafted demands, the principal points of which arc:—Kates of pay—(a) Various oversea steamers, including Union Company's and intercolonial .services,- all cargo, coal, meat, etc., 12s. od. per day, plus squaring up .books L's. Gd. extra. Hal Mays, Ironi 1 p.m. only, 7s, Gd., plus squaring upOvertime 2s. (id. per hour, includingmeal hours, (b) Coastal shipping, 2s. per hour or any part thereof, during ■day «r (minimum, two hours). Tho overtime rate for work done between midnight on Sundays and '& a.m. on Mondays shall bo is. hn hour. All work dono on .Sundays, Christmas. Day, and Good Friday shall bo paid J'or at tho rate of double overtime. All work done on any of the .other 'holidays hereinafter mentioned shall be paid for at the rate of ordinary overtime between 8 a.m. raid o p.m., and double ordinary time for any work beforo 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. Tiio holidays throughout ti;o year shall bo New Year's Day, Annl* versay Day, Easter Monday, birthday of tho reigning Sovereign, Labour Day, Hosing Day, and the union's picnic elay. IJeioro transferring clerks from one ship to another, the employer shall first ;\scertain if there are clerks willing to accept employment available at the place of engagement, and in such case ho shall employ such clerks at tho tally clerks' room ill preference to those already working. No . employer of labour shall bo a member of the union, and no member of tho union shall bo tho agent of any employer as rcjtards putting men to work or discharging them, except in cases of emergency. Should any dispute arise under this clause, the- matter shall bo referred to the iocal commit-too for decision, There are various other pro» visions in regard to -engagement of hands, work done away from tho port of ongftgomeut, etc. . 'Hie following is a copy.of. a petition received by tho Union Steam Ship Company:— "We, tho undersigned ships , tally clerks engaged on Wellington wharves, wish you to know that w-o have no sympathy with the so-called Tally Clerks' Union lately formed hero, and, if peseible,. desirei to. remain free agents, feel-' ing perfectly satisfied that we shall at all times receive every consideration at your hands-." . , (Over forty signatures aro appeiideci.) It is stated that among those who signed tho petition aro many who have worked, longest on the wharves. Souiq o! , the clerks who protested against the iW;ii:itioii of tho union ctiite as their reason for so doing;, that the union H-niild not do them any con-d, while it mii'lit do harm to some- of thoso who u-ero the most reliable and trusted, if tho Arbitration- Court cavo all tha conditions asked for in regard to ciignpement. etc. The objectors state that tiioy protest most strongly against tho the -manner in which the union was formed. No meeting of tally clerks had been callpd and tho oldest tally clerks now working on the wharves know nothing of tho union .until it had been rem'sterwl. It appears as though there is ii protly strong feeling of dissatisfaction amungsi, the tally clerks over tho formation of tho union.