"SIMPLY FOOLING US"

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 135, 9 June 1937, Page 12

"SIMPLY FOOLING US"

NO PROGRESS MADE

TODAY'S PROCEEDINGS

Wages-were the first subject of discussion when the council resumed today, and Mr. Roberts announced that the workers could'not accept the em-

ployers' offer. "I met the dairy farmers and they offered a 10 per cent, increase, but you people offer a 10 to 15 per cent, decrease," he said. "If that is the best you can do, we can't agree to it."

Mr. Gardner did not think that was the proper view to take. There were many difficulties, he said. Mr. Roberts had taken Wellington conditions as a basis for the whole of New Zealand, and the conditions were not applicable to all other ports.

At a later stage, Mr. Barnett remarked that he did not think Mr. Roberts was improving his case by telling the employers' assessors that they did not know what they were talking about. Mr. Roberts said he was referring to Mr. Gardner, and he had stated that the harbour boards should have sent Mr. Gardner round New Zealand and instructed him as to what was being done. "As far as your job is concerned," he said, addressing Mr. Barnett, "you know it very well." The Commissioner remarked that in the event of no further offer being made in regard to wages, it did not appear to be of much value for the council to discuss wages. LESS THAN 1931 RATE. Mr. Roberts pointed out that the workers had taken the boards' own classification of workers. Seamen's wages had been increased on the 1931 rate, but the harbour boards were offering less than the 1931 rate. "If we cannot get a better offer than that we will send the claims straight to the Court," he "said. "The Court would not reduce wages, and had already stated that wages were to be increased in view of the cost of living." Mr. Clibborn pointed out that costs were rising. Mr. Roberts: Can you tell me any time in New Zealand when the country has been prosperous and wages low? The Commissioner remarked that it appeared that the difference on the wages question was too wide to be reconciled and wages would have to be referred to the Court. Mr. Gardner said that the differences between the ports were too great to be reconciled. He thought that the best thing would be to have a general award covering hours and employment and general conditions, and to have a schedule of rates of pay and duties applicable to each individual port. Mr. Roberts: Are you serious about that? We have special conditions for the ports. Let us discuss them now, separately. The Commissioner: It would require a series of awards applicable to the various ports. Mr. Gardner: That seems to be the case, more or less. Mr. Clibborn said that the watersiders' award had special rates and conditions for separate ports. THE SMALLER FOKTS. - Mr. Roberts: That is not so. There are no special rates for any ports. He added that special conditions applied to some ports, but the wages were the same in all ports. At one time there were twenty-one agreements covering waterside work, and the employers said that the work could not'be covered by one agreement, but the Court took charge and made one agreement. The Court said there was no reason why there should be a difference in rates. Mr. Roberts said that his side was willing to meet the employers and • make conditions sufficiently elastic in the smaller ports so that the boards' staffs would not have to be increased. "I suggest you take our basis of wages and discuss it; each separate section as we go along," he said. The Commissioner suggested that the position of watch-foremen might be discussed for a start. Were the employers prepared to offer an increase? Mr. D. Holderness (Auckland Harbour Board): That is where the difficulty arises. I might be able to say that Auckland would agree to an increase, but that might not be reasonable for other ports. Mr. Roberts: How many boards have watch-foremen? Two only—Auckland and Wellington. The Commissioner suggested that Auckland and Wellington watch-fore-men should be discussed. - After a consultation between the employers' assessors, Mr. Gardner announced that although only two ports employed watch-foremen, the conditions, duties, and responsibilities were so different that-they could not be reconciled. Mr. Roberts: All right; don't go any further. We will discuss Wellington, then Auckland. We will discuss each man in each port from the carpetsweeper to the skipper. He added that it seemed that the employers' side did not want to be the cause of the negotiations breaking down. He had said yesterday that the employees had been the most patient men in New Zealand. Other workers on the waterfront had received increased wages, but the position was that the man handling the cargo did not get as much as .the waterside worker. The crane-driver, who had men's lives in his hands, was in the ■same position. TO MEET CHAIRMEN. "Mr. Commissioner," said Mr. Roberts, "it seems that we will have to resort to just the same position as other workers. We simply have to come out and fight you," he said, addressing the employers. "If you do, you will meet us when we have the fight. The differences between the men is only psychological. They will get support from everybody. I want to be quite frank with you. I don't think you express the opinions of harbour boards, and we have decided now to ask the chairmen of the boards in New Zealand to meet us. That is quite definite! We are going to do it. We are handling the Government's produce and we are going to the Government. We don't want hold-ups on the waterfront. Mr. Holderness and Mr. • Barnett know the trouble I have gone to to prevent them. We don't want that, but you are driving us into it. You said there was too much diversity (in the claims). You are determined not to discuss it with us. Frankly, 1 think it would be better for you to say that. | You are just making excuses. We have to meet the chairmen of the boards, and if the boards .drive us to take certain action the boards can take the blame. And I don't know whether the shipowners, who are represented on the boards, would like any trouble on the waterfront. I am expressing the opinion of every man here. They wanted me to discuss it yesterday, and I refused, but the time has come to speak plainly. You are simply fooling us. The harbour boards in New Zealand set out to cut wages and at the same time increas' the money of the higher-paid officials. You offer a clerk £5; the City Council pay £8, and the Government £7 a week." Mr. Lane said that Mr. Roberts had j put the case very clearly. It seemed that the employers were unable to alter their opinion, or, for some ulterior purpose, they could not do it. The workers looked to a change in the constitution and personnel of the boards in the.near future. "Mr. Roberts has expressed our view better than we can do it ourselves," he said. BLANK REFUSAL. Mr. Roberts said that they were not tied down to any .classification, "but when we come down to discuss watchforemen in Auckland and Wellington singly, they won't discuss that," he said. "It's simply a blank refusal to meet us. We will discuss any employee individually. We will discuss I anything, and they don't mean to dis--1 cuss anything."

Mr. Adams said that the men were being saddled with extra duties anfl long hours, and yet the boards were prepared to give no compensation. "It's a disgraceful state of affairs," he said.

Mr. Lane (to the employers): Do you wish to break up the organisation and for us to join the Seamen's Union and the rest to go to the waterside workers?

Mr. Adams said that at the last meeting of his union some very nasty remarks were passed. "When we go back to these men they will be dissatisfied, and I will not be responsible for any action they take," he remarked. "The majority rule."

Mr. Gardner: Will you accept the present rates of wages and conditions at Auckland and Wellington- for watchforemen?

Mr. Robert?: No; we want a rise in wages; it's coming everywhere.

Mr. Clibborn said that a separate schedule might be considered for every port.

Mr. Roberts remarked that Mr. Holderness offered the crane-drivers an increase twelve months ago.

Mr. Jamieson said that Mr. Holderness had stated previously that rates would be reviewed on the cost of living, and some salaries had been increaspd 20 per cent.

Mr. H. D. McAven (workers' assessor, Napier) said that the boards were offering less than the 1931 rate—in one case 7s 6d less.

Mr. Clibborn suggested an adjournment.

. The Commissioner: Will we get any further by an adjournment? I wonder.

Mr. Gardner said he understood there were no difficulties between the two major ports, but there would be difficulties in connection with the smaller ports. It was suggested that launch men should be discussed..

Mr. Barnett: We haven't got a launch man in Wellington.

After further discussion it was decided to adjourn for lunch.