EMPLOYERS TAKE ACTION

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2992, 1 February 1917, Page 6

EMPLOYERS TAKE ACTION

FILE DISPUTE FOR COUNCIL N OF CONCILIATION SCALE OF LABOUR RATES By Telegraph—Press Assn. Chrischurch, Januarw 23. On February 27 tho Council of Conciliation will hoar a dispute which.lias been filed by the New Zealand Shipping Company against tho New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation and Indnstritil Association of Workers, and the Lyttelton Wharf Labourers' Union. The assessors for the employers are Messrs. S. K. Sleigh (Union Steam Ship Company), Joseph Garrard (Kinsev and Co., Lyttelton). and H. J. Elliott (N T .Z. Shipping Company). The application states that ns the conferences which have been held between the representatives of the shinping companies and the waterside workers have been unable to arrive at. agreements on the demands made for

extra pay,. and altered conditions of labour, tiio matters in dispute are referred to the Council of Conciliation,The Demands. The demands made by the applicants include: One shilling and eightpenco per hour for stevedore and general cargo work, with 2s. 6d. an hour for overtime -bill 10 p.m., and 2s. 9d. for overtime from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Special cargoes in bulk in quantities of more than 25 tons, 2s. Id., 2s. lid., and 3s. 3d. Special cargoes in bags, in quantities of more than 25 tons, Is. 10d v 2s. Bd., and 2s. lid. Explosives, Is. 10d., 2s. Bd., and 2s. lid. All work in sheds and stores, Is. Sd., 2s. 6d., and 2s. 9d. Shovelling eggettes and briquettes, Is. 9d., 2s. 7d., and 2s. 10d. Shovelling coke in bulk when digghw is required, Is. 9d., 2s. 7d., and 2s. 10d. Shovelling ballast, Is. od., 2s. 7d., and 2s. 10d. Other demands regarding lvagcs bear a corresponding relatiorf io those now being paid. [The above demands (made by the N.Z. Shipping Company) are the rates fixed for the different classes of work under the agreement _ which has been /in force with the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union.]

"GO-SLOW" POLICY

\ "FREE MEN HAVE TO SPEAK." Reference to the present waterside trouble was made by Mr. Vv. H. Field, M.P., in a sj>eech delivered at the Levin Show yesterday. Mr. Field said that the Minister, of Agriculture (Hon. W. D. S. iUaeDonald), who was to have opened the show, had sent him the following message by telegraph:—"Sincerely'regret that owing to important Cabinet meeting being called, I shall not be able to carry out my intontion to be with you to-day, but, Cabinet meeting Jias been called for this afternoon, at which I must bo present, this course is impossible. Kindly apologise for my absence, and explain the position." "I was rather disposed to think Mr. Mac Donald would have to remain in Wellington to-day," said Mr. Field, "because an intolerable position has arisen on the wharves. The men on the wharves have practically cast aside the Arbitration Court, have made demands which are utterly incapable of being adopted, and, worse than that, they have adopted the "go-slow" policy. I have it from leading shipping authorities that less than one-quarter of the work that was done several years ago is done by the men .on the wharves to-day. Yesterday they shipped 400 bales of wool, and several years ago tney would put 1600 aboard. lam assured that a gang of girls would have done more than four times as much as tney did yesterday. 'The ' leaves to-day with a lot of her butter and wool space unfilled.

"The position is intolerable, and the Government must face it, and put this kind of thing down with a firm hand. These, men shall not be allowed to run this country. . ■ . "My own opinion is that a large section of the men are only too willing to carry on this work. They can easily make £1 a day. But the men are ruled by the executive. . . . "If they won't do the work we must get the men who will. This can't go on. I am hoping to-day will see the end of it. As free men we have to speak out on these subjects. We can't be ruled by these men."

'Mr. - Field's remarks were received with applause.