Transport Workers.

Maoriland Worker, Volume I, Issue 6, 20 February 1911, Page 2

Transport Workers.

NOTES FROM G. G. FARLANI)

What a lesson from Patea—a lesson showing the futility of sectional Unionism—organised Union strike-breaking on the part of the seamen and waterside workers, who have stooped to take the bread from the mouths of fifteen stalwarts who are at present on strike at the small port of Patea. Here we have a small body of men who, in the busiest season of the year, cannot average more than 40s. per week. They are struggling with all the force at their command to extract an extra sixpence per hour overtime from a firm which had been noted in the past for its niggardliness to its employees, and its generosity to various Biblethumping institutions, such as the V.M.C.A. and Moore's Mission, both institutions being built by the surplus value extracted from the waterside workers and seamen on the New Zealand coast.

The original demands of the men had been whittled away till the last straw—the sixpence per hour overtime—broke the camel's back. They would not yield; they would not go back to their fellows and tell them that they must contiime under the old conditions, or submit their claim to a capitalist judge. The}- came out, and, the irony of it all ! the seamen, each of whom is a member of a Union affiliated to the Trades and Labour Council, stood in, and have done the work of loading the boats, with the help of a few unorganised "blacklegs," ever since.

These strikers have displayed great fortitude and self-sacrifice. Immediately the strike commenced those who were best able to travel went into the country, and, having obtained casual work, sent a portion of their earnings to their fellows at the front, who were engaged picketing the boats as they came in. The Secretary of the Wellington Union, Mr. T. Smith, who had paid a visit to Patea, in" order to gain first-hand information, was there successful in bringing the parties together, but the conference proved abortive, and he had perforce to return to Wellington. The Wellington Union, at a special meeting, voted the sum of £50 to tide our comrades over till such necessary measures could be brought to bear on the employers as would make them grant the small concession asked for. An open letter was written by Mr. Smith advising the Wellington waterside Avorkers not to start on the "scab" ships, but, unfortunately, the men of the windy port were, in the words of Ben Tillet, made "with slave blood and bone and jelly-fish spine." They could not see that an "injury to one was an injury to all," for they took as much notice of the letter as they would were it issued by Bishop Grimes.

And the cause? Lack of organisation ; lack of that necessary class consciousness ; servile to the core; robbed by the chloroforming influence of the Arbitration Act of their manhood, they worked on. Two gangs of MEN have refused to handle the "scab" cargo, but, unfortunately, twenty gangs of strike-breakers have taken their places. And so the game goes on, and the little Jew laughs up his sleeve.

The Wellington Wharf Labourers' award expires on the 22nd February, 1911. The scarcity of labour in New

Zealand should allow the men at the capital port to procure a model award. There is a feeling amongst a large and growing section of the men at the latter port that very few concessions can be hoped for from the Arbitration Court, more particularly whilst Judge Sim holds the scales of justice (?). Waterside Unions have a unique opportunity of educating the workers along class lines, being so compact in their industry, but the unfortunate fact remains that little is done to impart the true Unionism into them. The Wellington men, it is said., have made a move towards procuring £10 worth of pamphlets on Industrial Unionism as a first instalment. They look "to " The Maoriland Worker " to devote some space to the true gospel. The spirit of revolt is growing, and a few years should see them standing in the strength of their organised manhood, free and untramelled by any experimental conciliatory legislation, recognising at all times that there can be no peace between the exploiter and the exploited, till the workers receive the full product of their labour, and own the industries!.

The AVeJlington men made a stand last month on an issue which has been fruitful of much dispute for the last twenty years—-tht* right to use their only implement, the hook, in cement, [t was grand to see the erstwhile docile sons of toil back away from the "labour auctioneer in the market place* when he came to buy of their labour. "Those who want the Wanaka"—the ship in dispute—"come forward." Instead of a forward move there was a backward rush, and the procurator of wage slaves stood on his lonesome on the box. "What new

phase is this?" quoth he. "I see nothing for it but to send the Secretary and his assistant to do the job." The reply was sharp from the AssistantSecretary : "Take a piece of chalk, John, and chalk out a man or two." John moved away, sad and dejected, to report to his master the result of his application for labour in the market place. The morning passed, and well on in the afternoon it was decided to allow these honest dividend-makers to use their hooks, and the matter was settled after twenty years. I)id you say Unionism was dead p Whilst there's life there's hope.

WELLINGTON, February 13. A meeting of the executive of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation, under the presidency of Mr J. Jackson, of Greymouth, to-day considered the Pa tea waterside 'workers' trouble. The representatives of the shipping companies interested were met, and all the matters in dispute were discussed at some length. The owners declined to allow Mr Hally to mediate, and the conference proved abortive Subsequently the president (Mr Jackson) announced that the Federation had decided to telegraph to every Union in affiliation with the Federation, and to communicate with all organised labour unions throughout NewZealand with the object of taking drastic steps.