TIMARU WATERSIDERS AND RAILWAYMEN.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 73, 2 August 1912, Page 9

TIMARU WATERSIDERS AND RAILWAYMEN.

Tho following has been handed to us for publication as the t\L. executive view of tho trouble: —

For a considerable time dissatisfaction has existed at Timaru waterfront on accouut of the position taken up by one or two men who are termed by our paternal railway management "permanent casuals." Jt appouis there are between 20 and 30 men, employed mostly by the Railway Department, in connection: with the receiving of cargo from the slings io the. trucks. Two of these men belonged to the A.S.R.S. — the others, apparently, had not been permitted to join tin's Society, so they had thrown in their lot with the wharf laborers, to whom they rightly belonged, on account of the fact that if there was no shipping in port tliere was no work for them to do.

The- waterside workers were now face to fare with trouble, owing to the fact that the two men not members of their union were getting far moiv than their share of the work offering—in spite of the fact that there is an understanding, regulation, order or something in existence from the Government that no man.' shall be permitted to earn more than ,£'i per week until all the men engaged in this class of work have also been given a chance to earn a like amount. It was alleged that the two men who were not members of the Waterside Workers 1 Union were given all the, cream of the work, and that their earnings had exceeded double the amount specified, whilst the members of the Waterside Workers' Union engaged in the same, class of work were not permitted to make a decent living. The Federation of Labor had secured for this class of labor a considerable advance in wages, and much better conditions, while tho Waterside Workers' Union had paid a considerable, sura in expenses to bring about these better conditions, .and the two men, although they had reaped all tho benefits, had not contributed one penny in money or kind.

This wag tho cause of tho trouble which eventuated in tho men refusing to work tlie ships unless those two men joined the union. Tho organiser (Mr. Scmple) was sent down, and matters looked very ugly for a time; the men wore ordered to return to work, and the organiser was instructed to interview the two men in question and see what oould be done. They wero interviewed and tho whole trouble was wiped away by th£ moo voluntarily agreeing

to join tho Waterside Workers Union

Everything seemed to b> , settled satisfactorily to all concerned., but it appears now someone in the A.S.R.S. has taken umbrage at tho fact that these two men hut! decided to join the Waterside Workois' l T nion, and we find a hysterica! item in tiho Daily Pago of the Wellington "Times," in which a member of the Federation of Labor \s rceused of calling those men ' blackleg^.' , ''scabs." and other pet names. This is absolutely contrary to fact. Everyono knew these men were pood unionists Everyone knew these men ,vco jus+ the opposite to wliat constitute! scabs, and the very fact that these two men Were on pood terms with all tho other men on the waterfront goes to prove the ridiculousness of t.lie statements contained in the "Times" article.

Of course, it's a well-known fact that the men of I he A.S.R.S. turned down the Unity Scheme, and it is nlr-o a fact that this was beeou.se hundreds of those men are studying Industrial Fnionisni—but the Schemers imagine that by creating ill-feeling towards tho . Federation oL* Labor they will incidentally kill any lovo that may exist towards Industrial Unionism.

An article appears in the July number of the "Railway Review," headed

"The Apostles of Bounce," also" dealing with tliis matter,, but if the writer of that article will only think for a moment he must confess that the Waterside Workers' Union is only doing exactly what the A.S.H.S. is doing—and that is urging those engaged in an.v industry to get together in that industry into one big industrial union. Now, if the waterside workers are not working, neither can these men work, but fcho railways can go on working—therefore, the place for those nirm is undoubtedly in the industry that directly affects them.

Wo are living in hopes of yet seeing the Transport Department of the One .Big Union contain the r.'iilwaymcn, but in tho meantime no misunderstanding should lie allowed lo crop up to create dissension between the two organisations, and wo hope our friends of the ''Review" will get our side of the question before slating us in the way they do in the article referred to.