Watersiders’ Wages.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 February 1922, Page 3

Watersiders’ Wages.

BIG WAGE-CUT SOUGHT. [BY TELEGHAPH —PER PIIESS ASSOCIATION} , WELLINGTON, February 3. f As previously announced, the employ- 1 ers of waterfront labour have decided ] to summon the various Waterside Wor- J leers’ Unions before the Arbitration • Court, instead of entering into a fresh national agreement with the Water- * side Workers’ Federation under the i National Agreement, which expired on \ December 31st last l The watersiders under tho Nation- j al Agreement, have been paid 2s 3d per hour for ordinary time, and later on they secured an additional Id per hour by way of a bonus. The employers now propose that the rates of pay for the Wellington Watersiders will be Is 7d per hour, with 3Jd as a bonus. i A clause sought with regard to com- * mencing work reads: “Any man starting work must continue in that em- j ployment until he is discharged.” J Special overtime lias been elimina- j ted. «

A reduction of wages is provided for in the case of men working coal. The employers propose that preference to unionists shall not be granted by the Court. The following is suggested as a new clause on that point: “Employers, in employing labour, shall not discriminate against the members of the union, and shall not, in tho engagement or the dismissal of men, or in the conduct of their business, do anything directly for the purpose of mjuring the Union. When members of a union and non-members are employed togeth-

er in harmony, and unde r . the same conditions, and they shall receive equal pay for equal work.” The award, it is asked, shall apply only to casual labour employed from day to day, or from hour to hour and shall not apply to the weekly or permanent employees.

i The following is the draft of a clause i proposed in respect to the go-slow poi licy, overtime, strikes, and stop-work meetings: “The adoption of a go-slow i policy, or any other attempt to restrict tho output, in any port or on any ship, or wharf, or of overtime strikes, or the holding of stop-work meetings, shall in each case be a breach of this award, and the workers participating therein shall, in addition to J any other penalty to which they may 1 be liable be also liable to instant dismissal and suspension from wharf work for such a period as the Local Disputes Committee, or, in default of their arriving at a decision as the Court of Arbitration shall deeide. Any action taken by the employers to combat any such tactics as those above-mentioned shall not be deemed to be a breach of this award.”' It is also provided that there shall be no general stoppage of work for the purpose of attendance at inquests or funerals of Union members, but all necessary witnesses for inquests and any ■men (but not exceeding 20 in all) desirous of attending the funeral of a member of the Union shall be allowed time off to do so—but without pay. The c ]aims specify that the rates of pay fixed by the Court shall be increased or diminished by the amount of any order, or orders, relating to increases or decreases in wages which may he made from time to time by the Court.