WORK ON WHARVES

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 68, 14 December 1920, Page 8

WORK ON WHARVES

SHIPOWNERS AND WATERSIDERS

PROPOSED CO-OPERATIVE

SCHEME

WHERE DOES THE PUBLIC COME IN?

'l'ho proposed co-operative agreement between tho big shipowners and tho Watersiders Federation, which has been submitted to .the latter body's Timaru conference, and of which the public has heard very little, came before the council of tho Chamber of Commerce yesterday afternoon.

The president (Mr. M. A. Carr) 6aid that a groat dear had been said about the proposed agreement, but actually very little was known. There were several questions that should be answered before the chamber was satisfied. Members would have noticed that it was only tho large shipowners that were concerned in the proposed agreement, and they should bo Quite sure that its working would not be detrimental to the smaller shipping companies. For instance, they must see that tho agreement would not mean that laliour would bo shut off from the smaller companies, and tho chamber should withhold endorsement of tho scheme until information was received that the small companies were to be satisfactorily safeguarded. The small companies had been given tho option of going into tho scheme, but had preferred to wait and see what tho result would bo before committing themselves to 6uch an organisation. If tho scheme came oil, all competition would be eliminated, and the stevedores acting for the big companies would naturally employ tho best labour, whilst other labonr, employed more or less regularly, would be responsible to an association rather _ than to a stevedore. His personal viow was that permanent employment wag tho solution of the -whole waterfront difficulty. Regular wages abolish a lot'of tho anomalies they Had to contend with today. He was sorry the chairman of the Har'Sonr Board (Mr. J. G. Darkness) was not present, as he was interested in this question of permanent labour on the wharves. He had spoken of a schenio thnt he hoped would bring it about, but had gone no further with it. Mr. B. E. Sinclair: A committee is sitting on it now. Mr. Carr said that he believed that Mr. Harkness now held that such a ncherne was not practicable, and tho representatives of tho shipping companies ali<o thought that way. Mr. Sinclair: Mr. Harkncs.i favoured it if you could get rid of the Labour leaders! Mr. Carr held that it was <i sten in tho right direction. . . . The principle of co-operation was n ne which commended itself, but there was one thing which ho viewed with u great deal of suspicion— that was tho ncrsonnel of the directorate. Was it possible. for any man there to hand over his business to 1m employees to manage? The co-operative system was sound wliem skilfully-managed for the benefit of tho community, but to his mind that would not be the case with a directorate of three watersiders, three shipowners, nnd one chairman (who must bo considered independent). Who was to Im the chairman and how would ho act? They must be very clear on that point. Mr. A. F. Roberts thought, the time was not opportune for discussion of the question, or for it to he subjected to kepn criticism. It was hardly even in skeleton form yet. Merelv a principle had fcmni put forwnnl. _The really important point—the tonnage rates for work—hnd not ever been mentioned. The whole schpme would eomo on Inter. It was impossible to discuss it until they got down to the facts. The thing was in its infancy, and until the watersiders accepted it—and he very much doubted that thev would—it was not worth going into

ifr. W. S. Wilson said it seemed to him that the chamber should' take the view of the Welfare League and tho Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Tho crux of the matter was the working conditions arranged under the ccheme by the shipping companies and the watersiders. but t.lio people who hnd to pay were not being consulted nt all—it wns nil being done behind closed doors. He thought that the Welfare I/eague hnd taken up n very logical attitude. Mr. Roberts had said thnt the scheme wn* onlv in embTyo, but if it were accepted nnd became operative nt once it would be too late to do . anything. Thev should go in now and 1 help to promulgate the scheme if it. proved a sound one. Tt was n very vital o.uestion for tho people, end thev should have ft band in settling it.

Captain Peterson said that this had he.ent a burtiins question 011 the waterfront, for a lonsr time. It. had long been held by the shipowners nnd the mercantile community that something should ho domi to make conditions more stable, nnd the nuestion had at last been tackled by the shipoing companies. There had been more than one scheme. Mr. Itoper hnd 11 scheme, and Mr. W. Bennett had a scheme, and thoro were others. After long .consideration this co-operative scheme was put forward as one making for more efficiency Hum did the permanent labour scheme. Whether the watersides would nccept it ho was unable to say. but it could he discussed, as there was a lot of detail to settle. The companies wanted the thing cleared lip. He was glad to hear from tho president that the small companies were to be considered. Hp wan sum the commercial people would benefit.

Mr. Wilson: llow can they benefit when they are not beiijg l consulted' Captain Peterson said that under the achenio they hnd to see that the "goslow policy did not come in. In reply to an interjection about representation, 'Captain Peterson asked Mr. Wilson whether lio would allow outsiders to interfere in the management of his business.

Mr. Wilson": Wellington Harbour belongs lo the poople of Ne w Zealand J C "F^ ln . m Pf(e , rMn: the shins don t! .rim scheme was a long wav off and he hoped they would get an opportunity to discuss it before it was finally adopted. J

W - Cuthbertson said that the Welfare league had alwavs ndvised .em. plovers nnd omployees to get together and now they had done so it was not satisfied.

Mr. Longtiey moved that a committee be appointed to watch tho movement nnd report to the chamber.

This was seconded by Mr. C. IT. Young. ,^ r '' wnl moved, as an amendment, that the resolution of the Auckland Uhnmbnr bn adopted. Mr. IT. D._ s ßennett seconded the motion, remarking that representative.* of the. harbour boards and. tho community generally ought not to bo omitted from the conference which finally decided tho (letnils of tho scheme.

Mr. Yickerman mentioned that it wns only propositi to try out the idea • at Wellington nnd the Tiluff for a startit could then he kicked out or perfected. During further discussion Captain Peterson said that Mr. ,T. G. Harlcncss wns present, and presided as chairman 011 the first day of tho conference between' the companies and watersidcrs. but lie never turned up again, why, ho did not know.

Mr. Sinclair hinted that it was because the boards wished to take full control of nil labour 011 the waterfront and tho companies were "up against if."

Mr. Wilson's amendment was lost, and Mr. Longue.v's motion (with the addition that the Minister of Commerce be asked to inquire as to tho terms of the agreement) was passed.

CRITICISM REPLIED TO '

"NO SINISTER ASPECT." Adverse criticism has recently appoared in tho Prow with regard to the scheme for a co-operative stevedoring association, which has been submitted to the Waterside Workers' Federation for consideration at its annual coni'crcncc, now in session at Tiuiaru. A statement on tho question was niado yeslcrday by Mr. W. U. ]>. Bennett, general manager of tho Wellington Co-operative Waterside Labour Employment Association. In "the course of his statement Mr. Bennett remarked;

"In view of this criticism, which is largely based upon, a misapprehension of tho facts, it is considered advisable to make it quite clear that the scheme docs Jiot bear the sinister aspect attributed to

it by its critics, but is n genuine endea\our on the 1 part of . the shipowners to evolve out of the unsatisfactory condiUoiis now prevailing on the waterfronts i'i IU "''V S opewudi, which, if accepted by the federation, will, it is hoped nnd bolieved, mark a very distinct step in the direction of improvement from the point ol view of the waterside workers, of tho snipping companies concerned, and of the public at largo. ''It must lie borne in mind that the scheme as submitted to tho federation is merely-ill skeleton form, and, if the principle embodied therein is endorsed Iv the waterside workers' representatives, tho next consequent step, so"far as the shipping companies are concerned, will be the incorporation, in the full selieme. of all necessary eaioguards as to the conduct ot their affairs 011 the waterfronts, juntas would ot course, bo tho position in any other business proposition. t I'A'on in its embryo fonn, however it must surely be evident to any individual who takes tut trouble to analyse tho claused of tho scheme that while they provide for a change in the prcH-lit method of payment for tho work performed. they involve no alterations in tho working methods, stn<l in no way interfere with tho plant or operations of the Harbour Hoard, and, further, that, the cardinal point in the whole schemo from the point of view of the shipowners and ot tfie pubic, is the retention by the former of tho full control of their busings operations in connection with tho loading and discharging of ships. "It also stTfrr as the'wnterRido workers arc concerned, the principle of payment by results, and, as any profits accruing to tho association will be devoted solely to objects which make for the betterment of the watersido workers tliemsolvos, so, according to tho quality ot the work they perform, will bo tho resultant benefits, jointly and sovcmlly to them.

"In brief, thin scheme of co-operation, which has only boen arrived at alter the' most exhaustive consideration of the merits of-proposals regarding pormnnent labour, etc., means that in helping the shipowners, and consequently the public, the waterside workers will be helping themsolvcs,"