At the Waterfront

Maoriland Worker, Volume 3, Issue 51, 1 March 1912, Page 11

At the Waterfront

Mr. Geo. Smith, the secretary of the Transport Branch, N.Z.F.L., has been engaged organising at Foxton. Since the inception of the branch many necessary matters of detail have been attended to. Rules have been framed to guide the branch until the N.Z.F.L. conference, and action taken generally to strengthen the foundation of what will be, numerically, the most powerful branch of the Federation when the out■tandiiig sections can be brought into line. Tramway men and seamen, link up! • « •* There is a general tendency amongst *he rank and file of those unions which have kept outside the N.Z.F.L. to ask questions. This may be said more particularly of Napier and Gisborne. Greymouth has practically capitulated, ami doubtless the employment of one of the N.Z.F.L. organisers at these outstanding ports would result iv a thorough Unking-up of the Dominion watersiders. # • • If tho workers do not recognise the absolute necessity of Industrial Unionism, the employers certainly know sufficient of tho strength of the I.W.W creed to make strenuous attempts to outwit the organising of all Labor into one union. . • • * In Wellington the secretary of the local Waterside Union organised the hulk-keepers into a permanent workers' branch of that organisation, prepared demands, and approached the employers for a conference. One of tho largest owners immediately sent for the hulkmen employed, and made advances in wages and overtime rates, conceded annual vacation, offered to provide a launch to bring the children to and from school, and made many other concessions which had been most gtrenuously opposed before an attempt was made' to link them up with the main organisation. i, • • The employers recognised that "the man who pulls the lever turns the gtrike." Wo too, must recognise that without the engineers and crane-drivers our position is weak. * * * The final notice of cancellation of the Wellington Wharf Laborers' Industrial Union of - Workers has been gazetted. This Union will be registered under the Trades Union Act as the Wellington W r aterside Workers' Union. » * * Many of tho Waterside Unions are making preparations under their new rules for a fighting fund. In some tho subscriptions have been raised and the entrance fees doubled. Since they have cut clear of Gran'mother Arbitration such provision is absolutely essential. * * * There is great dissatisfaction at the Bluff over the recent award granted bythe Arbitration Court. The G«lde-n Bay Cement Company has been granted a further extension of time till March 31 for the use of their old cement bags, with the proviso that double bags be used till then. This concession was granted by the Transport Branch, owing to the late arrival of the paper-lined bags. Immediately the concession was granted, the Auckland firms made similar application. * * * Thero has been a general rise in freights and fares as a result of the transporters' increased wage. Thus the public, pays the piper when the watersiders call the tune. To the unorganised worker who has received no rise for 20 years the tune must bo rather discordant. * * » Comrade Bowen, late secretary of the Nelson W.W. Union, has left New Zealand for Sydney, where he purposes engaging at his trado as a shipwright. Mr. Tom Smith, late secretary of the Wellington Wharf Laborers' Union, is now secretary of the Wellington 'Workingmon's Club a.nd Literary Institute. Every watersider will wish Tom success in his new sphere. Some difficulty has been experienced at Wellington in fixing the regulated hours for engaging wharf labor. The employers do not seem to recognise the evil results of the unnecessary congestion of surplus labor at the waterfront. At the rate of progress to date Che hours will not be set until the agreement expires. If this is the case, wo watersiders will bo debarred from taking advantage of Sir Joseph Ward's cottago farm scheme. b * * * Sir Joseph Ward's cottage farm 'scliemo was foreshadowed by Sir John Findlay some few years ago as an •meliorative ine-asuro for watersiders and other casual laborers. During a prolonged general strike it might prove gomo advantage to an organisation to have a well-filled cabbage patch. Our forebears lived on acorns in time of trouble W r o might subsist on cabbages.