THE WHARF MEN'S LOT

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2124, 16 April 1914, Page 5

THE WHARF MEN'S LOT

FRESH PROPOSALS

UNION EXECUTIVE'S EFFORT

A certain section of watcrsido workers have- lately been complaining that the executive of the Wharf Labourers' Union has been inactive. Inquiries, however show that this is uofc tho case. According to Mr. J. L. Radcliffe, president of the union, members of tho committeo havo been at work drafting proposals relating to-wharf work, anal-it is intended to call a meeting of the union next, week to discuss these.

Mr. Radcliffe statod that a copy of tho proposals had been forwarded to the chairman of the_ Employers' Labour Committee some time ago, and the chairman had replied that there appeared to bo nothing unreasonable in them.'A day and hour had also been fixed for representatives of tho union executive to discuss tho proposed changes with representatives of the shipowners, and Mr. Radcliffe and another member of tho executive had attended. When thoy entered the room, however, thoy had been informed by tho chairman that a. resolution had been passed to tho effect that the committee had nothing to say in •regard' to proposed alterations in the agreement. A letter was then forwarded to tho Employers' Committeo asking that this decision should be reconsidered, but, np till the present, no reply had been received. In conclusion, Mr. Radcliffo said that ho understood that tho Employers' _ Committee would meet tho representative's of tho union on the return of tho chairman (Mr. W. A. Kennedy}, who is at present absent from the Dominion. The Proposals. .The first proposal dealing with Clause 2 of the.agreement is that instead of being paid 3d. an hour extra for eight hours only, leading hands should be paid that amount extra for all hours worked.

.Secondly,. it is proposed to amend Clause 8 in order to make it possible far tho men to* work longer than five hours at a stretch, so that instead of leaving off at 5 o'clock, for instance, they may, by mutual. agreement with tho employer, work an hour or later instead of haying to come back after tea. .■.'..'•

The third clause deals with tho hours of engagement. Tho present agreement specifies the -following hours:—First call, 7.30 a.m'. to 11 a.m.: second call, 1 p.m. to 1.30 p.m.; third call, 3.30 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.; Saturdays, 7.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m., 10.30 a.m. to noon. The executive proposes to amend these hours as folio ,v:—First call, 7.45 a.m. to 10 a.m.; second call, Ito 3 p.m.; Saturday, 7.45 a.m. to 10 a.m.

An amendment to Clause 20, Subclause (b), is also sought to provide that two men bo allotted to a. double dump of wool, instead of one man as at present. .

Another recommendation is that all men employed'in. passing frozen meat into the holds from 'tho head .of tho shoots bo paid at freezing rates (Is. 9d. instead of Is. sd. per hour). Tho sixth recommendation roads: "That a bettor method of paying wages tii casual employees be adopted by tho employers, as at the present time the method adopted is causing a great deal of dissatisfaction and complaints, for the following reasons':—Employees have to wait too long to take their turn when waiting to be paid— i.e., when lcnocking off work at noon they have.to. wait the .whole of tho.dinn'er hour"and then go back:to work without having had,an opportunity of receiving their pay, and then bo nut to another inconvenience at a later date,to obtain it. It is further ruggestcd that no employee should! bo called upon to wait more than-a quarter of an.hour Tor his pay at the stated time of paying unless he is paid at union rates for the time, he loses." Their Meaning. Dealing with the first proposal, Mr. Radcliffe said at present a man might work 24 hours, but he would only vcccivo extra pay (viz., 3d per hour) for eight hours' work. In regard to the hours of engagement -the president of : the union explained that "tho present practice of, putting on men at 7.30 a.m. was. the causo of much dissatisfaction, because some of tho members of the union lived in the suburbs, and fodnd it very difficult to get to tho. wharves intime. It was contended that, by extending the'pflcond call by an hour and a half, the third call could bo reasonably cut out, and the men would then have tho benefit of additional time'at their homes. Coming to the fourth proposal, Mr. Radcliffe. explained that, at present, : sJcwt, was specified in the agreement as a one-man load, whereas seme of the double dumps weighed 7owt. This 'load was too heavy'for ono man to handle (especially on hot days, or when fresh tar had been placed on the wharves). An inorease of fourpencp an hour had been recommended, for men working at tho head of the shutes. This would bring their wages from Is. sd. to Is. 9d. per hour. It was pointed out that it was the men at the head of the shutes who set the pace for tho other men, and, as they were stooping all day, it was only fair that they should receive a little extra pay.