THE H.B. TRIBUNE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1927 MAKING A STRIKE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 2 December 1927, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1927 MAKING A STRIKE

IJUIE latest news to hand from Australia at time of writing points very definitely to mutual declarations of “No surrender” on the parts of both ship-owners and waterside workers. The probabilities seem thus all in favour of a determined struggle for the mastery. Whether that struggle will be short and sharp, with an early end, or whether it will be stern and protracted, with Heaven knows what far-reaching consequences, no one can apparently at present predict with any kind of confidence. That practically the whole of the shipping activities of the Commonwealth will be affected is pretty well certain, the only hope of resuming and maintaining them depending upon the organisation of non-union labour to do the work refused by the unionists. Howfar this will be practicable without bringing virtually the whole industrial community into the melee will greatly depend upon the attitude adopted by trade unionists outside those directly involved. This, in turn, may depend upon whether the outside unionists consider the stand taken by the watersiders to be justifiable and reasonable. On this point, and in order to understand the development of the conflict, it may be as well, to go into the facts of the case. The waterside workers had been pressing for overtime rates of pay —that is for work done after 5 p.m. and before 8 p.m. — higher than those embodied in the current award made by the Arbitration Court. In response to this the Arbitration Court, though fully engaged with other matters entitled to priority, treated the watersiders' application as one of emergency closely affecting the whole public, and gave it immediate, though only tentative, consideration. As a result a provisional increase in the overtime rate was allowed, the understanding being that the whole award would be permanently revised as soon as the Court was free to give it the lengthy attention its many complexities demanded. Under this provisional dictum of the Court tlie watersiders have been drawing overtime pay at the rate of 4/3 a,, hour, or 1/4 an hour, more than the usual rate. With this they are not in any way satisfied, and it is with a view to forcing another immediate consideration of their particular grievance that they are, having resort to the ready weapon of the strike. As has so often been the case with similar movements in Australia before, a time has been selected when a hold-up of the shipping will create the greatest possible discomfort, inconvenience and loss to the general public. This, of course, may be clever tactics, but it is not likely to make the originators of the trouble any the more popular. But, then again, in this respect the public are relied upon to have but short memories.

So far as the owners are concerned, they have replied that they are quite prepared to have the men’s case re-opened either in the way of amicable discussion between responsible representatives of the parties concerned or before the Arbitration Court, in the latter case promising to use all their influence in order to expedite a hearing. The only condition for which they stipulate is that the men will meantime continue to work under the award—as provisionally modified in their favour—that is still running and honourably observe its conditions. With this seemingly very reasonable stipulation the men refuse to comply, thus definitely setting the authority of the Arbitration Court at complete defiance. In the mean time, and since the increase in the overtime rate, there have been persistent and flagrant breaches of the award that amply prove that the men have some other object in view than merely to secure higher remuneration for their labour. They have also refused to give any effective guarantees that any fresh award that may be made will be treated with any greater respect. In short, they have adopted an attitude of set hostility which makes the efficient and economic conduct of the shipping services almost an impossibility. It is said that even while an informal conference between representatives ol the owners and of the men was sitting the tactics thus complained of were still continued. The executive of the Watersiders’ Federationdeclared that this was entirely ap-iinst the directions that had been given, but at the same time no move was made to “discipline” the offending unions. At the same time, however, there seems to be no difficulty in controlling the rank and file whenever aggressive action such as that now in operation is z decided upon at head quarters. It is under these circumstances that the ship-owners, with a view to bringing matters to a head, have taken up their present stand.