WATERSIDE TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2991, 31 January 1917, Page 6

WATERSIDE TROUBLE

FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS RECALCITRANT WORKERS ' LISTED A LUCKENBACH INCIDENT There were some further developments yesterday in connection witli the industrial trouble on. the waterfront. In the morning the names of thoso men who refused to work in tho manner required by the employers, on two New Zealand Shipping Company's steamers concerned in Monday's trouble, were listed, and a copv of the names was supplied to each labour foreman, with instructions that such men were not to bo engaged. That move is calculated to prevent a man obtaining employment at the waterside, as there are only two classes of casual labour. employed, one by the labour, foremen representing the companies (for work on and in tho ships) and the Harbour Board, who control tho labour on the wharves and in the sheds. Both authorities will stand off tho men who refused to work as ordered on Monday. There are 62 names on the list. As this action of the employers must bo faced by the men, Mr. George Bruce (tho secretary of the Waterside Workers' Union) was asked if he wished to mako aiiy statement About tho position as it stood yesterday afternoon. Mr. Bruce said that he had no statement to .make, as the matter had not yet been considered by his union. It was tho intention to hold a meeting to-morrow evening and review the whole position. Mr. Willia.ni Bennett, secretary of 1 the Waterside Labour Employment Association, stated yesterday that he warned the Waterside Workers' Union on Monday of the action that was to ho taken respecting the men who were dismissed from the two vessels on Monday, so that it was nothing in the nature of a surprise. The lists of names were handed to the labour foreman before the call yesterday morning. No Men Turn Up. It is usual for the men to assemble in known places on the wharf in Waterloo Quay at 7.45 a.m. There the labour foremen, who know all tho men by name, stand on a bos or a barrel, and call out and jot down the names of the men that they require for this or that ship.: The hours stipulated in tho existing agreement for waiting for work are from 7.45 a.m. to 11 a.m. No one turned up at the usual time yesterday. It was not until 8 a.m. that the men began to turn up, apparently all acting in concert. Certain labour was engaged there and then, but at 9 a.m. the surplus vanished, ignoring the rule to stand around until 11 a.m. It was at once perceived by the employers that the men were seeking to enforce one of the new conditions included among many which came before the conference last week. As stated before, the Harbour Board also engage casual labour, but as a rule the board's casuals stick to the board, and stevedore's men to the ship. An inquiry was made as to whether the board—which was hard-pressed for men yesterday—would take on the men tbe employers had listed. The reply was that they certainly would not. Work Stopped on the Edwarß Luckenbach'. Soon after 8 o'clock yesterday morning the men engaged to work discharging case oil from the steamer Edward Luckenbach (from New York) desired to know if they were to be paid as for a "full oiP ship, viz., at the rate of 2s. per hour. They were informed that they were to be paid at the -under 65 per cent, oil rate, viz., Is. 10d. per hour, whereupon tbe men declined to' frqrk, and as the result there was nothing doing on the Luckenbach all tho morning. Then the unexpected happened.' It had been represented to Mr. Bennett that the vessel's cargo for ■Wellington was less than 65 per cent. oil. About midday, however, it was discovered that a quantity of oil' for Auckland had been over-carried,and on going into the figures himself Mr. Bennett found that 70 per cent, of tho cargo for Wellington was oil. He at onco rung up the secretary of the Waterside Workers' Union (Mr. Bruce), informed him of the mistake made, and that the Luckenbach was a "two shilling ship." As the Tesult a couple of gangs resumed work on the New York carrier after tuck time.

Three Prices for Oil. There are actually three rates of pay for working case oil under the existing agreement. The scale is as follows , :— Over 65 per cent. 2s. per hour; •under 65 per cent, and over 35 per cent., Is. 10d. per hour; under 35 per cent., Is. Bd. per hour. When the Luckenbacli was declared a Is. 10d. ship, that decision was made on the information supplied by responsible authorities, but in calculating the total the overcarried oil for Auckland was left out. The mistake was a regrettable one, and was rectified at tho earliest opportunity. Imperial Meat. 3[eat for the Imperial Government was being placed on board one Home liner yesterday at a much slower rato of loading than usual, and tho long line of waiting trucks shows that the authorities must have miscalculated the rato at' which it could be handled at the wharf. This is one of the most serious aspects of the "go slow" policyadopted. . •