WATERSIDE WORK

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 127, 27 February 1928, Page 10

WATERSIDE WORK

Sir, —On Wednesday. 15111 inst., under the heading “A Busy Waterfront,” The Dominion published a statement to the effect that shipping was more than ordinarily plentiful at this port. A similar statement appeared m The Dominion vesterdav, and although both articles referred to are simple statements of fact, they are likely to have a misleading effect on the general public, and particularly on men who, not understanding waterfront conditions, are . looking lor work. It is quite true that shipping was busy nt different times during ibe past few weeks. On February 15. for instance, no fewer than eight overseas steamers were berthed in Wellington, yet on the pay day following, several members of the Waterside Workers Union—capable and willing men looking for work every day—had no wages to draw. The plain truth is that there are too many members in the union for the amount of work offering, and quite sufficient, to «.opo with any rush of shipping likely In occur. When limitation of membership of the Waterside Workers’ Union was introduced in Wellington, representatives of the shipowners and waterside irorkers met to decide upon the number of men necessary to operate the port. The employers’ own suggestion, after a careful study of the records, was 1450 men. This was not opposed by the representatives of the waterside workers, who had no wish to unduly restrict the number: and as the shipowners would naturnllv be on the safe side, that number should be ample for all requirements. However, the number now stands, at slightly over 1700, so that any outsider intending to take advantage of the alleged rush will need to be something more than an optimist. In one of the statements in The Dominion, mention is made of an oil tanker with some thousands, of tons of oil to he pumped out at Miramar. All this, of course, adds to the tonnage, but it may not be generally known that no casual labour is employed on such vessels.

Members of the union, on reading The Dominion’s report of the large number of ships in ( the harbour, have asked mo why, when the wharves are bare, no correspondingly conspicuous head lines record the fact. So far I have not answered that question to their, satisfaction, and will feel much obliged if The Dominion will take the hint ami answer the question for me.—l am. etc., JOHN O. JOHNSON. Secretary Wellington Waterside Workers’ Union. Wellington, February 20. rUnusuallv bare wharves would be the subject of notice, just as an unusually busy waterfront is.)