THE WATERFRONT DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 7, 4 October 1920, Page 6

THE WATERFRONT DISPUTE

SITUATION UNCHANGED

BOTH SIDES STILL ADAMANT

EMPLOYERS PRES:"NT BEDROCK TERMS

There were no fresh developments during tho week-end in connection with the waterfront trouble. Further correspondence passed between the parties, and the impression prevails that there will be no material change in the situation beforo to-morrow ' morning, when the monthly slop-work meeting cf tho union will be held. There were the usuaL calls for labour oil Saturday morning, but as no men wero offering for tho steamer Calm no fresh labour was engaged. Meanwhiletho numbers of unemployed watersiders and idle boats are Wing rapidly augmented. Union Adheres to Decision. The following letter has been received by tho manager of the Waterside Employment Association (Mr. -W. H. D. Benftelt) from the secretary cf the Waterside Workers' Union (Mr. J. G. Bruce):— ■ "Dear Sir,—l have to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated September 30, and to inform you that I placed it before our executive, as you des:red. The executive, realising the serious position that has arisen through the Jock-out of the unemployed members of our union, gave every consideration to your letter on the question.' "Needless to say, we cannot agree with your statements. For instance, 'That our members are not entitled to use the agreement until they become individually parties to it by accepting employment under its conditions. 1 If that is so, who was tho* agreement made with? You also-state that if our members accept l employment, you will undertake at our request to immediately call a meeting of the local Disputes Committee to consider and deal with the complaint. What complaint, are you alluding to? If it is the working of the s.s. Calm, we have no dispute. "Our dispute is whether the employers have the right to lock out all of our unemploye4 members because labour is not available for the s.s. Calm. Considering your statement that should, you employ labour under normal conditions it would inevitably result in_ unjustly penalising the Calm, in our opinion such would not be the case, aa ire feel sure that should labour be employed normally no difficulty will 'bo experienced in getting the number of men required to work the s.s. Calm. , "The following resolution was carried at our meeting this morning:—'That we stand by our original position of regardthe attitude of the employers as a distinct breach.of the agreement, in so far as it refuses men who are disoliargcd from a job the right to go where work is offering. And consider when employers are prepared to engage labour under normal conditions there will be no diihcnlty in obtaining dabour for the s.fl. Calm.'—Yours faithfully, (Signed) J. G. Bruce, Secretary." Employers' Reply. ' On- behalf of the employers, Mr. Bennett lias forwarde4 the following reply o ''Deai ß Sir!-Your letter of tho Ist instant reached us too late for reply yesterday. No good purpose would be served by ta'aversing the whole of previous correspondence, and it will be sufficient to tIl "(l) The men working the Calm took a ballot when the rain was not sufficient to deter men working other vessels In the harbour from • carrying on their dl "i2f - The men working the Calm wero discharged from employment, and, paid up to 11 a.m., and were then at liberty for other work elsewhere. " / "(3) At 1 p.m. on luesday, on the foreman making the call for the Calm, he was informed 'by the spokesman of a large number of men present that they 'would not engage for that vessel unless they were paid for an hour between 11 a.m. and noon-which they (Rnot work. This demand was not concieded, bcin 1 contrary to the terms of tho agreement, ■ and quite unjustifiable. "(4) Calls for labour for the Calm were made on Wednesday morning and on several occasions since, bu \ alth °W requiring fifty men, only five responded notwithstanding that sufficient labour was available at the . ~ , "(5) This clearly points to the Uiim having been "boycotted by the members of your union. , "(G) Tho employors, on that accounh, sea no reason whatever for receding' from tho position taken up by them, that as ■ the Calm lias in no way transgressed the spirit or letter of tlie agreement, she must be manned before other new encasements of labour aw made. "(7) Tho employers are only too desirous that the work of the port'shall proceed, and if the members of your union will man the Calm not a moment will bo lost in engaging labour for ail other vessels in port that are now rendered idle solely on account of the boycott' c-f the vessel.—loure faithfully, (Signed) W. H. D. Bennett, Manager.

TRAMS AND ELECTRIC LIGHT —,*o — , COAL STOCKS DWINDLING. " - The coal situation as far ns tho public utilities oro concerned grows more serious with tho passage of each day. There are coal-laden steamers at tho wharves, l>ut as the seeming deadlock on *the waterfront rontinuos stocks at th» tramway and electric lighting powoJ stations are diminishing at the rate of 75 tons per 24. hours. As it was reported Inst Thursday that there was onli ft week's supply of coal in hand, it follows that the stock now. amounts to about four days full supply. Tho Tramways Committee held a special moeting at 9.30 a.m. on Saturday to consider tho position. It is understood that a proposal was made to close down the tram seTvico altogether yesterday as an cconomv, hut the council did not approve of such a drastic step being token. No definite resolutions were put to the meeting. _ > When consulted at- midday, the Mayor (Mr ,T. P. Luke) ?nid that there was tio change to he inside. A full service would he carried out until further notified. CITY'S GAS SUPPLY POSITION VERY ACUTE. Unless the waterside-trouble is quickly settled, gjs consumer? in tho city will be in sore straits. Speaking to a Dominion reporter last cveninr, the seci'"tary of the Gas Company (Mr. .T. H. Kelliwell} summarised the position in the -Allowing words: "If wc don't get ajw.l by Wednesday morning, wo will have 'o shut down. . We will keep going to tho very end, but our stock is being rapinly depleted, and unless tho boats are worked we can get no more."