DISCONTENT AMONG COAL LUMPERS.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 14, 9 June 1911, Page 12

DISCONTENT AMONG COAL LUMPERS.

Dear Worker, —Just now there is a largo amount of discontent among the coal workers of the Wellington branch of the Waterside Workers' Federation. There are a number of Grievances, but

one of the principal ones refers to the price per hour paid to this section. Before preference to unionists was passed the pay was per hour for shovellers Is Cd and ' for top hands (i.e., winclimen, bullropc-men, trimmers, and tippers), Is 3d. Now, since we have got preference the pay is Is 4d all round—of course, tho above is ordinary time rates. Now, before going any further, let us look at the difference in the pay before and after preference. A gang of men consists of eighty—four shovellers and four top men—with an aggregate of lis per hour, before preference. After preference the same number of men get 10s 8d per hour. Tai J} the gang working an ordinary day of eight hours, there is a saving to. the shipowners of 2s 8d per day per gang. This sacrifice was made to get preference to unionists. What has preference done for us V Now that the award is over the coal workers are out to gain a bit of their own back, and are seriously talking of going in for a union of their own. As this port, of Wellington is the dearest place to live in in New Zealand I, for one, think that the coal workers aro tho worst paid men on the wharf.—l am, etc., COAL LUMPER.

Wellington