London Dockers and Wellington Watersiders.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 27, 8 September 1911, Page 11

London Dockers and Wellington Watersiders.

Whilst the recent strike of British transportation, workers was at its height, the following cable was received by the "Wellington Waterside Workers' Union: —

"New Zealand Shipping Company and Shaw, Savill Company are,fighting London Waterside Union. Can you block vessels ? —Gosling, Tillett, Dockers, London. 1 '

Tills cry for help was received on Augrtst 18. It was a call from across the sea by the suffering and oppressed for assistance in their gigantic struggle—a cry which every working-man was in honour bound to heed.

But what happened? It is alleged that the wire remained upon the file till August 28, when an enterprising reporter heard of it, and it was published in Wellington papers. This was the first intimation the vast majority of the men had of the receipt of the wire.

The men are furious, and rightly so, for being kept in tho dark on the matter. It is stated that whilst the wire was on file the > cargoes of two of the companies" boats whom the comrades in London, were fighting —the Rualiine and the Waimate —were worked by Wellington watersiders in ignorance of the wire.

They say that they have scabbed iipon their London comrades by handling the cargoes of those boats. They hold that the least the Union secretary could have done would have been to notify them of the cable's receipt ■and prevent them from being branded as scabs by their British co-workers. A gross, and unpardonable blunder has been made by one or more of the officials of the Wellington Waterside Union. A cable such as that, to be sent by such an organisation at such a time", should have been immediately placed before the whole membership of the Union. Organised scabbery is the most despicable and least excusable of all forms of scabbcry, and the odium attached to the unconscious action of the Wellington men will undoubtedly take some removing from the ranks of the British Dockers' Union.