EMPLOYERS' STATEMENT

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

EMPLOYERS' STATEMENT

HOW A. DEADLOCK AROSE

EARNINGS OF THE WORKERS.

The following statement concerning tho waterside dispute was issticd last evening by tho employers ei waterside labour:—

As already intimated through tho Press, the conference between tho representatives of tho New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation and the employers of waterside labour throughout the Dominion proved abortive, as the employers, after the fullest deliberation, arrived at the klefinite conclusion that as tlio claims for increased wages and improved working conditions made by tlio federation wore of such an extravagant character that, having regard to the effect upon all other industries, the responsibility of making any concessions was too onerous for them to accept, and they therefore adopted the constitutional course of suggesting reference to the Arbitration Court. The proposal, however, was rejected hy the representatives of tho watersiders.

The decision of tho employers was conveyed to tho federation representatives iu the following terms :— Tho rejection by tho waterside delegates of the suggestion made by tho employers' representatives that tlio matter in dispute between us should bo referred to the Arbitration Court has been very carefully considered by us since the adjournment of the conference. Tho objections mado bj various sneakers on behalf of tho watersiders to. this course do not commend themselves

to us, as so long as it is legally in existence there can bo no question that the- Court is the proper tribunal to adjudicate on the wide difference which exists between the respective parties as to the justice or otherwise of the claims made on behalf of the watersiders. In this connection, also, I may with ovory propriety refer to the fact that it was tho Arbitration Court which gave the unions preference of employment, a decision which materially assisted the latter ,to consolidate themselves into tho federation of 5000 members which exists to-day, and also to remind you that the watersiders of Ausralia aro voluntarily appealing at tho prosent time to tho Commonwealth. Arbitration Court. The emphatic manner, however, in which the suggestion to place the position before the Court was turned down by your side has given omployers food for serious thought, as from the nature of the utterances of waterside representatives yesterday it became amply evident to us that in the event of tho deadlock continuing both sides wore assuming a tremendous responsibility to tho whole of the Dominion. This aspect of tho matter has been fully discussed by employers, but! without a single dissentient it was resolved that the course suggested at tho conference yesterday must be followed, and whatever the results may be, the dispute must be referred to the Court, and immediate stqps in this direction will he taken. Decision of the Employers. I lipvo only now, therefore, to formalljfi intimate to you that the following is tho -unanimous decision of the employers of waterside labour throughout tho Dominion: • (1) That the representatives of the employers of waterside workers from throughout the Dominion, and now assembled in AVellington, have given the fullest and most serious consideration to tho representations made by the delegates from the New- Zealand Waterside Federation. ' (2) That having regard to representations made by other classes of employers as to the serious effect any increase in wages to waterside workers would have upon other trades and industries. (3) That in view of the comparatively high wages iiow being earned by waterside workers. (4) That as the adoption of working conditions of the nature asked would so hamper shipping operations as to seriously interfere with the shipping trade of the Dominion, the Employers' Conference has reluctantly arrived at the decision that it cannot take the responsibility of increasing wages or altering prosent working conditions unless so directed by the Conciliation Council or the Arbitration Court. _ ' . . 1 In view of the above decision and of the definite refusal of the New Zealand Waterside Federation to have the matter dealt with under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and as that is the only means provided by law for dealing with such a situation as.has arisen, tho Employers' Conference has decided to take immediate stops to cite the Now Zealand Waterside Federation in accordance with the provisions of that Act, and that if the federation so desires, employers will agree to oxpert assessors being appointed as provided by Section 112 of the Act. i Unions' Claims Discussed. . An examination of the claims made by: the Watersiders , Federation gives the following typical examples of comparison between —(1) the rates of pay ruling prior to the war, (2) the increased pay granted by employers in Februory, 1916, owing to the abnormal conditions created by the war, and (3) the mew demands now made upon employers of waterside labour by the federation:—

So far as the new working conditions which the Federation seeks to impose upon employers are concerned, the latter state emphatically that these are of such a revolutionary character that if brought into operation the effect upon the work of the ships would be nothing short of disastrous, as all, or nearly all, are calculated to so. "slow down" tho work as to entail most serious delays, which would. reflect upon all industries allied to shipping, and consequently upon the Dominion as a whole. Following aro a few typical examples of the character of the "improved" conditions sought by tho Fed.eration:—

1. Number of Gangs in Hatch..— "Not more than two gangs shall bo employed in any one hatch." ' ,At present often tliree gangs and sometimes four gangs are employed. The effect .of the proposal to limit the/ lift in any one hoist may -be seen by'comparing the following:—Federation proposes twenty-five carcasses mutton; usual.quantity thirty-five carcasses. Federation proposes 'thirtyfive carcasses lamb; usual quantity sixty carcasses. Federation proposes thirty boxes butter; usual quantity forty-five boxes. Federation proposes ten crates cheese; usual quantity twenty-four crates. Federation proposes twelve quarters beef; usual quantity ■ eighteen to twenty quartors. The proposals to reduco the weight of casks of tallow from Bcwt. to 7cwt. and pelts from 9cwt. to 7cwt., and dumps of wool and flax from Bcwt. to 6Jcwt. are absolutely unnecessary, and will provo irksome and inconvenient to strippers and farmers. Freezer Gangs to Consist of Fourteen to One Whip.—This is four more men than are required or used generally now. Tin-lined Recoptacles.—Tho claim that lime, cement, slag, guano, superphosphates, etc.,-should bo packed in tin-lined receptacles is a serious matter to farmers. In the first place, tin is practically unobtainable' at tho present time, and in any case the cost would bo so grent as to practically prohibit tlie use of these commodities. Tho result of tho demands tor working conditions, if acceded to, would be to reduce the output by one-third to onelialf, and would require approximately 25 per cent, moro men to do the work. Earnings of Waterside Workers. Tteturns of average wages earned since increase granted In February, 1916, are at present available only, for

tho ports of Wellington, Napier, and Lyttelton, but they aro sufficient to givo some idea of the money earned by waterside workers; and are. as under: — Wellington. Shipowners.—For all workers (average number employed 1100), average earned £3 10s. 9d. per week. For thoso men who have been available for work three-quarters of the time covered by the period, and who may be taken as those who depend upon waterside work as their moans of livelihood, 739 men. Average earned, £3 15s. lid. per week. Average hours worked, 37.3 per week. In other words, the men who depend on the waterside for the means of subsistence in Wellington earn an average of £3155. lid. for a little over 4£' days work per week. Analysis of earnings of 739 men mentioned above: — 2 men earned an average of ovor £6 per week. . 8 men earned an average of between £5 10s. to £6. 42 men earned an average of between £5 to £5 10s. 93 men earned an average of between £4 10s. to £5. 141 men earned an average of between £4 to £4 10s. 168 men earned an average of between £3 10s. to £4. 182 men earned an average of between £3 to £3 10s. 80 men earned an average of between £2 10s. to £3. 23 men earned an average of under £2 10s. 739 , Harbour Board. Average number of men employed, 464. Average earnings of all men employed, £3 2s. 6d. per week. Of these 233 men are on a special register for preference of employment, and the average earnings for half-year August, 1915, to February, 1916, is (prior to last increase) £3 7s. lid. "Half-year February, 1916, to August, 1916 (since last increase), £3 17s. 10d. per week. . The following is a furthor analysis of the earnings of the albove 233 men:— ' 8 men averaged over £5 per week. 17 men\ averaged from £4 10s. .to £5 per week. ' 80 men averaged from £4 to £4 10s. per week. 84 men averaged: from £3 10s. to £4 per week. 36 men averaged from £3 to £3 10s. per week. 10 men averaged under £3 per week. Of.the 10 men who averaged less than £3 per week, the position is that each of them lost time either through their own default or by reason of accident or sickness, otherwise each of them would have earned! over £3 per week, and to that'extent the average earnings of all men would have been increased. Napier. Returns received 1 from this port show that on the average 65 men wero employed during tho period. The" first 20 men earned an average of £3 19s. 7d. per week. >■■ The first fifty men earned an average of. £3 9s. 6d. per week. The sixty-five men earned an averageof £3 ss. 6dl. Lyttelton. Average number of men employed, 437. Average .hours worked per week by all ; men employed, 31. Average wage earned per week —all men employed, £3 3s. 6d. 261 men averaged £3 per week and ovor. Average hours worked, 36. Averago wage earned, £3 15s. lid. per week. The above re-turns show that men

Ordinary hours. Overtime wort. Special overtime, td to i J i J- £ 4 » I£l££ s S fr a gl°*B " * S ? tl'%?« I s 5 § £ 5 'a &-£_?, & ■ 3 k General cargo (per hour). Auckland, Wei- . , lington, Lyt- s. tl. 6. d. e. d. s. d. ■ 6. d. 6. d. s. d. s. d. e. d. telton, Dunedin 15 18 2 2 2 2 2 G 3 0 2-3 2 9 4 4 Minor ports .... 18 111 22 22.26 30 23 29 4 4 Frozen cargo (per hour). i Auckland 2 3 24} 2 6 3 3 3 5-37 38; 3 6 50 Wellington, Dun- ' ■ /edin, Iffttelton 19 2 0 2 6 2 9 3 1 3 7 211 3 5 5 0 ' Shovelling coal (per hour). Auck Dunedin 18 111 2 5 2 2 2 6 33, 23- 2 9 4 7 Well; Lyttn. ... 1 6 19 2 5 2 3 2 7 3 4 2 4 210 4 7 G :.t. 2 2 2525222533222547 • Carrying coal in baskets (per hour). Auckland ° 2 2 5 3 0 2 8 3 0 4fl 2 9 3 3 6(1 wnSn ■.■;.:: i 5 2 * 30 30 a * y 3•■ 8 « 6 r ? .Lytteltbn 18 111 30 25 29 40 26 30 61 Special cargo—cement, superphosphates, etc. Wellington 15 110 2 5 E 2 3 8 3 2 2 3 811 4 lj) Auckland ;10 Ml 2-5 ,2 2 3 0 ■ 410 New Plymouth 19 111 2 5 2 2 3 0 3 2 2 3 3 2 41C Benzine, etc., -with all other cargo in ship. Wellington 15 2 0 3 0 2 2 210 DO - Only worked " ' during daylight. Explosives, with all other cargo in ship. • AVellington 151 10 42 22 2S 60 Only worked during daylight.

who really follow waterside work as an occupation are in receipt of higher average earnings than tlio great majority of skilled workers. - Cost of Demands. An indication of what the-increases already granted to waterside workers during the war period and the demands now made will cost the general public may Dβ gained from the following:— Oost of increase granted February, 1916, £130,000 per annum. Cost of presont wages demands, £250,000 per annum. Extra cost of proposed now working conditions,) £150,000 per annum. Total, £530,000. In other words, what is proposed is that each worker on the waterfront of the Dominion should have his earning power increased, including the increases granted in February, • 1916, by £2 per week. 1 \ "ROADABILITY" IS A HUPMOBILE FEATURE. "Readability" is a now word, meaning "ability on- the roads," and it applies to the now Hupmobile. The Hupp has several features which make it smooth-running ■on any road. Bear springs are underslung and flexible— they "soak up" rond shock like a sponge. Motor is designed for heavy road work. It is known as the "lugging" type, and is particularly powerful for hill, mud, or sand pulling, The body is perfectly balanced, long and lowhung. There is no top-heaviness, sideekidding, or vibration. These are some reasons for Hupmobile readability—ana there aro other big features you should see. Inspect the handsomo design and tho luxury of the now Hupmobilo. For free Catalogue and particulars, apply A. Hatrick & Co., lid., Agents, Wanganui and Wellington; Tho Wairarapa Farmers' Co-op. Association, Ltd., AgoiiU>; liett and Bayly, Ltd., Agents, I'almcrston North; A. Hatrick and Co., Ltd., Wanganui, distributors for North Island.— Advt.