BIG COLLIER HELD UP.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1963, 21 January 1914, Page 8

BIG COLLIER HELD UP.

$Y STRIKE MALCONTENTS,

OVER FORTY MEN DISMISSED;

SERIOUS HAPPENINGS.

SCENES AT MIRAMAR WHARF,

Ever since tho waterside strikers decided to go back to work in a , body : there has been troublo with the coal workers, and yesterday a. certain sec-; tion of them broke, into open revolt.' Tho result was that 41 men were discharged from the vessel which they, were, working on —tho British freight 6toamer Harflote —and replaced by mem-! bers of tho now union. ':

For tho past few. days trouble has been brewing 011 the ship. . During that timo she has been putting out Newcastle coal at Miramar Wharf for' tho gasworks. It appears that prior to tho strike, coal workers on steamers discharging at Miramar Wharf have been in tho habit of receiving an extra hour's pay per day at overtime rate (viz., 2s. 4d. an hour) for travelling time. It is understood that on payday last week tho men received tho ordinary rate for time (viz., Is. 6d. an hour), instead of the overtime rate. They accepted the money under protest, and, up till yesterday, nothing more was heard of the matter, ..' > ■■. Arbltrationist Hunted Ashore. On Saturday, however, the ex-strik-ers discovered a member of the new union, who had joined proir to December 8, working amongst them in the ship's hold, and made it their business to hunt him out of tho vessel. It- is alleged that lumps of coal were used in effecting this. Tho situation • became so warm for the solitary Arbitrationist that he was compelled to come up out of tho hold and cease work altogether, lie attempted to return to work , 011Monday morning, but, 011 reaching tho head of tho Miramar "Wharf, ho was told "that it- was more than his lito was worth to work on that ship again." The Malcontents Stop V/ork. All tho timo it was quite evident that the other men who wero engaged on the Harflcte were in a state of unrest, and it also seems that two or three agitators were busy keeping CTiem up to concert pitch. Indeed, the wholo crowd were apparently looking for some excuse for stieking the ship up. It may also bo mentioned that, prior to yesterday, ■ coal workers at MiraMiar have been in the habit of having their meals at a house near tho wharf. It- has been tho custom for one of their number to ascertain how many men required meals and then inform the proprietress of the house. About 9.30 a.m. yesterday word was to the effect that only tell men required dinner as the meais provided 011 Monday "were not good enough." An answer came promptly back that Uo mau from the ship would in future be served with, meals, at all. It is understood that. 31 of the jnen anticipated this, and consequently, they took- food with them. This left ten men without dinner. Meanwhile the labour- foreman was away 011 business at the gasworks, and during- his absence the ex-strikers decided to knock off work at 11.30 a.m. and turn to at 1.30 p.m. When thev were asked why they wanted to take two hours off for dinner the reply was to the effect that the ten men had to go to town for their meal, and also that the payment of Is. 6d. an hour travelling time was not good enough. It was now quite evident that the malcontents had had the whole matter arranged beforehand. During the time mentioned the 31 men had lunc-h on tho wharf and ten others went to town. At 1 p.m. tho foreman in charge ofthe work asked the men on tho wharf to turn to, but they refused remarking that they wero "not going back 011 tlieir mates." At 1.30 p.m. work, however, was again commenced and during the afternoon, tho labour foreman made arrangements for tho wholo of the men who had struck work for tho hour to be relieved. With this object in view tho original strikers wero told that- their services were not required at S p.m., and they wero told to go ashore.

Soenos of Disorder. _ Then tile trouble commenced. For a timo the Miramar Wharf was a scene of commotion. Everybody was talking at once, and it appeared as if grave troublo would ensue when a posse of police arrived. Word then went round that the "relief gang" were on their way out from town. Immediately the malcontents made off along the waterfront and, about half-way between the Kilbirnio Post Office and Miramar Wharf, the two parties—Arbitrationists and ex-strikers —met. By some means or other the ex-strikers manaasd to persuade tho new men to turn back. It so 'happened that nine of tho Arbitrationists had travelled by a different route, and they managed to reach the ship and commence work at 6 p.m. But it was only possible to work one batch instead of four. After the "eoalics" had left the Harflotc, it was discovered that a hoist rope had been cut, Pickets on the Alert. During tho whole of tho evening pickets wore observed in various and it was thought advisable to have moro police protection. Tho result was-that four constables went'out to Mi rani nr. Evidently this had the desired effect, as tho new workers reached town without molestation. When spoken to last evening tiro proprietress who had supplied meals to the coal workers at Miramar, said that sho could not understand the action of the men. Monday morning's dinner, sho said, consisted of roast beef.'grcen peas,-potatoes, rice custard, and prmic.B, and plum pudding. For tea, the men had hot minced meat ajid cold meat. Tliero was also plenty of bread and butter and tea at all meals. In point of fact, some men on gaged at tbo gasworks had been ju the habit of having their meals at this place' for the last erglitcon months, and they had expressed themselves as entirely satisfied. Was It All Planned? At tho. meeting of members of the lato Waterside Vi orkers' Union on Sunday morning it is understood that the "coalies" discussed tho whole situation in regard to tho conditions of work at Miramar, with the above result. It fs significant that oil Monday 490 tons of coal wero dischargo from tho Harflete, whilo yesterday's total only amounted to 215 tons. From what could bo gathered, it appears as if serious troublo may bo expected on tho waterfront during tho coming few weeks.