At the Waterfront.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 25, 25 August 1911, Page 5

At the Waterfront.

The following members of the Lyttelton. W.W.L.U., .will represent that body on the Waterside "Workers' Conference: W. Prin.g, J. Reed and H. .Voyce (secretary). The Waterside Workers' Federation's annual conference will open in Auckland on August 28. Auckland W.W. Union has od a- letter of protest to all waterside •unions regarding the proposed alteration of meeting place to Wellington. Notwithstanding the" fact that the solidarity of the Pabea- Waterside Workers' Union raised the wages of the workers 4s per week, there sw/j remain a small minority of weakminded creatures —they cannot -be .called mcn —who refuse to join the union. Tho Patea railway men who came out to assist the watersiders in their late trouble have not been reinstated. Tho station master at the port has now notified the Union that he will reinstate them as vacancies occur. John Jackson, secretary of the Greymouth W.W.IT., said at a recent conference that he regretted the amount of contumely which was heaped on the Government. It is rumoured now that he is an Industrial UnionrLst and rabid Socialist since" the advent of iW. T. Mills. - I' Patea Union, Timaru, Lyttelton, Westpoirt, Wellington await a reply from conference on its attitude tovr«rcLs the Federation of Labor. It wems that to save these unions within the Waterside Federation conference must allow a ballot to be taken on the question of joining with the N.Z.F. of Hi. ' It is reported from Greymouth that 40 per cent, of the members of the Greymouth Wharf Laborers' Union are in favour of joining the N.Z.F. of L These members are undertaking a vigorous propaganda shortly, whiich will shako the Union to its- foundations. Tho fossilised policy of its officials is becoming obnoxious to a. large- section. It is recognised that the conference of waterside : workers at Auckland will decide the question for or against joining the N.Z. Federation of Labor. Several unions . have intimated that they will allow the , conference the opportunity of deciding whether the Federation joins as a foody —-after a ballot —but, failing tbis,,;some unions intend to secede from the Waterside Federation and join the. Ni.Z.F. of L. The Waterside Federation at the present time is narrow in its outlook, and if the present sectional policy is allowed to cantuixio, disaster will come to tihe unfortunate unions which remain in its ranks. There is but one course open amd that is to join the N.Z.F. of L. It will save the Federation in its entirety and build a stranger force for the workers. Another -Auckland remit for conference : ' 'That, seeing the great number of members of the various Waterside Workers' Unions of New Zealand who are unemployed or very casually employed abound the various waterfronts of New Zealand, this annual conference of the Waterside Workers' Federation of New Zealand -demands that all overtime worked shall be paid for at double rates ; such demand to be made by a*nd for the whole Waterside Workers' Feed ration, of New Zealand at the next Arbitration Court sitting. In the event of this demand not being awarded, a plebiscite vote of the. members of' tho Waterside Workers' Federation .of New Zealand be taken for the cancellation of registration in the Arbitration Court; such poll to be taken within one month after the Arbitration Court has sat; delegates to the ConfcAreri.ee to be instructed to support this resolution by voice • and vote." As showing the general tendency towards Industrial Unionism on the lines of the N.Z.F. of L., the following translations from the International Transport Workers' tnonthly report make interesting reading :— In New York and vicinity the dockers display a great activity. In the beginning of April a conference had been called to discuss tho formation of a waterfront federation. This local Federation will be joined by the stevedores, the watermen and lightermen, the tugboat and firemen, the teamtsers and by a number of other callings. Also the old independent dockers' organisation has stated to be willing to affiliate. . How far the creation of this local cart ell has been successful it is impossible to say at present, but th<? prospects are very good for a strovg cartell of all organisations coming into on side ration. The first task of the cartell will be- to realise the wage demands of the dockers which were dropped in winter. Tho great steamship companies look at the formation of tli«

Waterfront Federation with a good deal of fear. The dockers on Oporto and Gaya (Portugal) have gone on strike on May 6 because their demands for an increase in wages and for a -regulation of the work time were refused. The strike has not yet been terminated, and we request all the organisations which come professionally in contact with the dockers in Oporto to lend them each and all any moral support and to first of all inform the seamen who navigate to Oporto, so that they may, if possible, not do a,ny strike work. Tihe organisations coming especially into consideration have been informed immediately after the commencement of the strike. ' • T. Smith, G. Terry and F. Curtis will represent the Wellington Union, at the Conference.