WATERFRONT TROUBLE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 4, 30 September 1920, Page 4

WATERFRONT TROUBLE

ANOTHER DEADLOCK ARISES

, DISPUTE REGARDING WET WEATHER CLAUSE As a result of a shower of rain which . fell at about half-past 10 on' Tuesday [ morning, trouble has developed on tho aterfront, and there 16 a cleadlock lietwoen the watorsido workers and tho ' shipping companies with reference to the 1 interm'e.ation of tho wet weather clause ] of tho agreement. I After the rain- commenced to' fall on J Tuesday morning, the men working on ( tho steainer Calm took a ballot as to ' whether they should cease work or con- ' tinue, a practico whioh is permitted by ' the agreement. A majority of tho mcii ! were in favour of knocking off, so they 1 were discharged by the oinployers at 1 twonty minutes- to 11, but wore paid up till 11 o'clock. It is provided by the Agreement that once men are engaged to load or dischurgo a ship, but aro afterwards ordered down or back, if they declino to commence work on account of rain, they 6hall be entitled to a minimum of two hours' pay, provided that in the event of dispute as to whether the men were justified in so declining to commence work, the matter shall be decided I>y the local Disputes Committee. In the case c-f t.\ie men working on the Calm, they demanded that they should 1m paid lip to noon, but 'this claim tlio employers refused to concede, on the ground that the men wero paid in accordance with tho agreemont. Although they were dismissed at twenty minutes to 11, the men were paid for the half-hour up to 11 o'clock, as tlie agreement stipulates that men.shall ho paid for vach fraction of half-an-hour as if it wore a full half-hour. In any ease, the employers contend that the wot wear ther clause was complied with so far as tlioy. are concerned, that they are not bound to pay for the time between 11 a.m. and noon," and that there is nothing in the agreement making it obligatory for them to keep men "standing by." At 1 p.m., when a call was mado for lobour to work the Calm, thero was no response, so tho employers decided that she should be made a "preference ship," that, is, that the walersidors must ogree to man her before accepting engagement on any other ship. The only exceptions are the Lyttelton forry boats, the Nelson | packets,' and vessels which were in port and working before 1 p.m. on Tuesday. Calls for labour to work the Calm were made yesterday at 8 a.m., 9.30 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2.30 p.m., but beyond two men who offered their services yesterday afternoon, there was no response, so no ether calls wore made except fov the vessels which were working before the trouble over tho Calm commenced, and. for the Lyttelton and Nelson steamers. The Disputes Committee has not yet lioen called together to consider the' matter, ns the employers hold that the men were properly dismissed, and consequently thero is no dispute. Should the men accept engagement on tlio Lalm, then (ho Disputes Committee could consideri. any claim that might 1)0 made regard- ' ing the question of pay. I On l)eing approached by a Dominion - reporter yesterday tv.--give Hlio men s ver- ) sion of the dispute, Mr. J. Cr. M™e, sec- : rotary of tho Wellington Waterside » Workers' Union, said that ho had no • statement to make then. • He might be ) in a position to say something to-day.