The Great Dock Strike.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 73, 2 August 1912, Page 3

The Great Dock Strike.

By TOM BLOODWORTH.

When tho strike of last August occurred and London liad an exhibition of tho btaongth and determination of tho organisation of workers who cany on the work of the Port of London, it came as a surpri&o to London. Everyone knew, of course, that there were workers at the ducks. Occasionally they had been seen. and sometimes mention was made of them in tho papers—when au accident took placo and one or two lives were lost. But apart from these, occasional happenings, London knew but little of the thousands of men who slaved lor her at the docks, and so long as they were content to slave London caml less.

Suddenly all this was changed. The dockers became men, and men belonging to an organisation. They had a grievance 1 , and in order that their grievance should be made known and rectified these dockers, these- men of the underworld, ceased, woik —that's all, just ceased work.

And then London became aware of their existence.

So long as they slaved on, they wore not even thought about, but so soon as they ceased work they became an important body, for it was then discovered that London was dependent on those very men for food. Thoy struck the great city in a vital part. Its food supply was cut off. The grievances of tho men were inquired into. And an agreement was arrived at. The men went back to work, and London settled down again.

But although the agreement had been mado and signed by masters and men, the masters ignored it from the very start. The men protested, and from time to time received assurances that all would be well if only they would allow time for the award to get thoroughly working. Time was allowed, but still the award was not adhered to by tho masters. The men were working undor practically the same conditions as existed prior to the strike. All they had gained by their battlo was an agreement which was only so much waste paper.

At last their patience became exhausted. And once again they ceased to perform their functions, and London mice again was reminded of their existence. A court of inquiry was set up. Tho men's representatives tabled their grievances as follows: —

(1) Tho employment of non-union men iv breach of an agreement made on August 19, 3911, between the Association of Master Lightermen and Bargemen mid the Amalgamated Society of Watermen. Lightermen and Watchmen of the River Thames;

(2) A similar complaint of broach of an agreement between tho short sea traders and the National Transport Federation on August 23, 1011;

(3) Tho refusal of the Association of Master Lightermen to meet tho representatives of tho Amalgamated Society of Watermen, Lightermen, and Bargemen for ('ho purpose of arranging rates of wages and conditions of employment of masters and mates of tugs owned hv members of the Association.

(I) The, refusal by certain sailingharge owners to pay tho men according to a. list of freight rates settled en January 1, 101 2, according to an agreement made on August 11, 1,011.

(;>) The refusal of certain wharfingers to pay in respect of the discharge of oversea ships tho rato of pay fixed by an award oi Sir Albert Rollit, datrd August 5, 1011.

(0) Th(> refusal by a master carman not now a member of the. Master Carmen's Association to pay the rate cf wages settled by an agreement betwen tlio London Master Carmen and Cartago Contractors' Association and the Transport Workers' Federation on August 11, 1911.

(7) Certain instances of vexatious interference with union workmen.

Sir Edward Clarko, whom the Government appointed to inquire into the causes of tho prosenfc dispute in tho Port of London, decided that on the five last points tho men had made good their case, but that on tha two former points tho case was not mado good. Ib was, in fact, a misunderstanding of tJw award on tho part of the men in tlwsso two case*.

Its Causes —A Story of Employers and Agreements

Now, even if we admit that that is so, tho misunderstanding of those two clauses has brought the men no pecuniary advantage, whilst the ignoring of the other parts of tho awurd has amounted to 1:480,000 iv wages that should have been paid to tin-iiifii under tho agreement, but has not been paid.

The only excuse the. employers have to offer is that they had no organisation amongst themselves with which to enforce the payment of the award rates. They trusted to the men being able to onfurco it. And now that the men are out, for that purpose tin , employers and their capitalist press allies aie professing amazement at the impatience of the men. Moreover, the Government inviU-.i men and employers to a joint coin'.renee. Tiie men were then>, but the. employers did not turn up, saying Hat it was useless to enter into agrccmen;:s with tho men, 'because the men wor- 1 so ready to set the agreement aside. Xot a u<, rd did they say about th<? w i,.',s they hnd filched from the men. ()(., no, all the t.lamc <m the men again

The whole thing is an attempt on the part oi tho employers to break up tho men-" organisation. They (the oniplo/ers) in vpr attempted to carry out the award, and never intended to '.I hey thougl-t the funds of the iri'ons v/ero <}: ; i.ncted by the previous strik', an J they expected this time to break the solidarity of tho workers, iiiit so tar they have- failed in that, and they will fail, beoan.se the moil are not relying on money with which to beat the capitalists, but upon organisation. If tho men do go back to work with the grievances unsettled it will only be in order to prepare for a greater struggle in the near future.

Tho capitalist press is full of harrowing stories of distress and poverty due to the stiiki', but says nothing of the poverty caused by the employers withholding that amount of wage* due to the workers under tho award of last years- They speak of the leaders living on the backs of tho men, bur say nothing about the employers living on wages stolen I'nuti the men.

But poverty has n<) terrors for tlie London docker. 110 lias bton r.'Mivd in it. Poverty has been his playfellow. Ill's bodntahv and his eonsiairi' rompanion all his life, and if ]ie lias to endure increased hardships in eonsequonoc of til* si like tliis time—well., lie has many times before had u> endure that in consequence of accidents °r illnesses, or some wliini of his employer. and if he could endure it then for his boss —well, ho can and will endure if now for himself.

He will suffer, but lie hm suffered before. Ho will hunger, but hunger is no stranger to him. l\c may he beaten, but not as lie has been beaten before, for lie has learnt tho lessen of solidarity. And ho will never forget if and lie will not allow London to forget it for long.

The Transport Workers' Federation has come, to stay, and will before lorn; carry on the work of transportation by tho transporters themselves and for the people.