WATERSIDE DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 120, 14 February 1921, Page 4

WATERSIDE DISPUTE

THE REFUSAL OF OVERTIME INTENTIONS OF THE SHIPOWNERS DEVELOPMENTS DURING THIS WEEK The situation on the waterfront has not changeil during the week end, hut developments are- expected early this week. The obstructive policy that is being followed by a section of the waterside workers, with or without the consent of the union, shotted a new phase on Saturday, when some of the men refused to work ajiter midday. The agreement provides that work done between noon and midnight on Saturdays shall be paid for at the special overtime rate, which would be not less than 3s. lid. an hour, so that the men can scarcely have any grievance as to the rate of pay. The refusal to work on Saturday afternoon had the effect of.delayiiig certain ships. No official statement of the intentions of the shipowners has vet been made, but it is known that tlfe employers are not prepared to accept the loss and inconvenience iliat are being caused by the shortening of-waterside working hours, in violation of-the of fl’ e agreement. The dispute majSbe brought to a crisis to-morrow by the issue of an order for the tying up of the ships until the waterside'workers are willing to resume work in the usual way. Representatives of the waterside unions have stated that the refusal to work owtime is not a breach of the agreemi«it, since the men who refuse the work are “acting individually.” The agreement provides that "no restrictions reluting to overtime work shall he permitted to be made during the currency of this agreement.” It provides, fnfther, that the executive of the AVaterside AVorkers’ Federation (the national organisation) and the executive of tho union shall "do all that is reasonably possible” to secure that members of the union shall accept work in the normal way. The employers believe that the letter, as well as the spirit of the agreement is being violated by the men who are refusing overtime, and by the executives that are permitting this state of affairs to continue. “Tho suggestion that the refusal to work overtime is not the act of the unions is absurd,” sail a shipowner on Saturday. "I am surprised that any union officer should trouble to make sueli a statement. The facts are perfectly clear. The AVaterside Union demanded a bonus. AA'e offered them Id. an hour, that is, the Arbitration Court rate, and they refused it. Now the unions are refusing overtime as a method of bringing pressure to bear upon the employers. The wafersitjers are simply trying to blindfold the public when they talk about 'individual action.' “There is another point that ought to be made clear. Au ordinary tradesman gets overtime pay for extra hours worked after be has completed his normal day’s work. But a waterside worker does not have to work eight hours at ordinarypay before he gets overtime. The agreement provides that ordinary time shall bo from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. AVork dons between 5 p.m. and 10 p-m. counts as overtime even if the worker did not begin work until 5 p.m. Then any work done between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. counts as special overtime. The work that requires to be done in the evening does not have to be dona by men who started in the early, morning, but the overtime rate is paid just the same. The waterside workers m tho present ease pre not objecting to. long hours'of work. They are merely insisting regardless of the iftcessitics of the port and the shipping companies, that all work must be done between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. This means delaying ship# at a cost of hundreds of pounds per day. pinprickinThpheld “ACTING AVITHIN THEIR RIGHTS.” By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, February 12. ' AVith respect to the demand from AVellington that the "go-slow and no-over-' time” policy must cease, local watersiders contend that they are acting within their rights. They will attend a meeting on Sunday, and hear the views of Mr. L. Glover, president of the Transport AVorkers’ Federation. Sunday. The AVatersiders’ Union met to-day, and there was an attendance of 1356. Mr. L. Glover, of AVellington, a member of the executive, addressed the meeting, fcut officials subsequently stated, that there was no information for publication. It was learned unofficially that the men will offer for work in the morning. Asked as regards overtime, members replied that the result would not be known until 3 o’clock to-morrow, when the final call for men is made. LYTTELTON MEN NOT UNANIMOUS OVERRIDDEtTbY MILITANT SECTION. By Telepraph—Press Association. Chrlstchurcn,- February 13. The watefsiders all ceased work at neon on Saturday, although most of. the vessels could have been worked. [ 'hn only exception was the ierrv steamer AVahine, on which two gangs were employed. That the men- are not unanimous on the matter seems quite clear. Some of them state' that they will work no overtime whatever, others say that they will work the coastal boats only, while several state openly that they object to the whole thing, and would work if they wore not overridden by the more militant members of the union.

KAITANGATA TROUBLE ENDED. Br Tolaaranh—Press Asiociation . Dunedin, February 13. The trouble at Kaitangata' has now ended, and the mines will be in full swing again to-morrow.