WATERSIDERS’ TACTICS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 415, 23 April 1937, Page 6

WATERSIDERS’ TACTICS

AND NEW ZEALAND’S EXPORT TRADE.

EFFECT ON CHILLED BEEF INDUSTRY.

The recent slump, drastically cutting farmers' incomes showed the dependence of the country at large upon the primary producer, for the curtailed spending power of the latter soon made itself felt in the towns, writes Bernard Street in “Point Blank.” It is not proposed in this article, to discuss the tribulations of those years which however drastic the experience, taught the very valuable leSson that the farmer is the cornerstone of New Zealand’s economic structure. The purpose of the article is to show that the lesson so bitterly learned by the majority, has been forgotten by a certain section of our waterside workers who are creating avery serious situation at many New Zealand ports and which if persisted in will have a very serious effect on the country's prosperity. Bad as is the effect of this attitude upon our export trade generally, it is nothing short of tragic in regard to our chilled beef industry, an industry which though of comparatively recent development has grown remarkably and can be of stupendous value to the Dominion. New Zealand chilled beef is making a very good name for itself and reports from England show clearly that it compares more than favour-

ably with any other on the British market. As a result it is eagerly sought after. . Here is an industry with almost unlimited possibilities for hte Dominion, and one would think that everyone concerned would get behind it and push it to the utmost. But the opposite is the case as far as many of the waterside workers are concerned and their behaviour’ is such that the costs of shipment are staggeringly increased. Worse still is the fact that the action of 'this element has the effect of deteriorating the quality of product, this often resulting in considerable loss to the producers. One authority in the freezing industry informed me that this loss is as much as Bd. a pound, and often more. INCREASE IN FREIGHTS. For some months past shipping men and Harbour Boards have been very much concerned over the state of affairs on the wharves of New Zealand where the subversive attitude of many of the waterside workers has been responsible for the increase in freights being imposed on goods shipped from here. These increased charges will of course have to be borne by the farmer in the final analysis and they are due to the extra cost incurred in loading the ships. It was not so long ago when the work done on the. wharves of New Zealand was all 'that could be desired but 'from “what the captain' of a largej overseas liner said lately it’is now about the worst he 'experiences, and everyone who has anything ' to' do with ships and shipping to whom I have spoken has said something of the same sort. In addition to that several Harbour Board men have felt iinpelled to make public statements on the matter. The chairmart of the Auckland Harour Board, Mr G. Mclndoe, in a recent statement said that the wharf workers were getting more pay for shorter hours, yet “the operations of this port so far as the watersiders are concerned is an absolute disgrace. In Auckland and other main ports it is restricted to the absolute minimum and that is a serious charge on the primary producers of this country.” About the same time the managing director of a leading shipping company announced publicly that despite the generous treatment as to hours and wages the watersiders were making the position intolerable and that it had had to be discussed with Ministers. He said he hoped for an improvement, but whether the watersid-

ers defied the Government or whether no action was taken the fact remains that a month later no improvement had taken place, for on March 23 the chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board, Mr D. J. McGowan, made public and pointed reference to the fact that the watersiders had not respond; ed to the improved wages and conditions accorded them. This statement was made at a meeting of the Wellington Harbour | Board and it was pointed out by the chairman that a much less favourable outlook had developed since September last. The figures, he said, showed a noticeable lessening of effort and a. great increase in the cargo working costs. “It is clear to me,” said Mr McGowan, “that the board at an early date will have to revise its tariff in order to provide more revenue.” URGENT REPRESENTATION. Mr Hugh Morrison, a well-known farmer of the Wairarapa, where he is the provincial president of the Farmers’ Union, who is noted for the scrupulous care with which he sums up a situation before he speaks, and for the generosity and consideration he has always extended to his own workers, spoke very strongly on the matter. He said that such was the dissatisfaction with waterfront work all over New Zealand that it had been necessary to make urgent representation to the Prime Minister and other members of the Cabinet. He detailed the careful handling necessary in connection with the loading of chilled beef and went on to say it was not being handled as it should. Cases were brought down for shipment and when the whistles blew they were just left as they were. Mr Morrison could have added with truth that there have been several cases where chilled beef has been left on the wharf as though it were scrap iron and has had to be taken by rail to freezing works to. be frozen, this of course resulting tri.'a lesser pjrice being obtained foi- it. "

“PIN PRICKING.” It is not as though' the watersiders were not aware of the "necessity for delicate handling in the case of chilled beef. It has all been explained to them, but they have taken no heed. Disputes and arguments occur on nearly every steamer being loaded, not only with chilled beef, but with other products as well. All sorts of pin pricking tactics go on and those in touch with waterfront affairs know that there have been cases where foremen on remonstrating with the men have received impertinence. Mr T. R. Barrer, of the Wellington Harbour Board, of which he is the exchairman, a man with a full sense of his responsibility and not in the least likely to exaggerate, gave details of a case reported to the board in which a worker on the wharf had turned round and told the foreman to do- the job himself. It may be mentioned here that a man with many years' experience of waterfront work told the writer that there have been very many occasions where foremen have been told very much worse things than this—a deplorable state of affairs, and one only tolerated by executive officers because of their desire to prevent a Dominion wide holdup. He also said that the patience of himself and his colleagues was about at breaking point. A section of the men are completely out of hand and such is their subversive influence that it now takes as many men to load three ships as could comfortably load five before. A slight shower of rain and the men will walk off. Stop work meetings are held with consequent confusion and loss and it often means that the loading of such a delicate product as chilled beef is held up until the following day with unfortunate results. STOP WORK MEETINGS. The Government has taken drastic action in connection with stop work meetings at the railway workshops, i and it is demanded that something | Similar shall be done in connection I With the Wharves. Certainly when a stop work meeting was held on the Wellington Wharf on March 23, three Ministers of the Crown attended, the first occasion in the history of the Wellington Waterside Workers’ Union that such a thing has been

done. It i s said that the Ministers indulged in some very straight talking and the men were told what was expected of them. Not all the watersiders are responsible for the state of affairs complained of. There are many good hardworking men among them anxious to give a fair return for their pay, but it seems that the hot headed extremists are dominating the position in the belief that they can “get away with it” under a Labour Government. Whether they are due for a rude awakening remains to be seen, but if the Government takes the action that is expected of it it must be assured of the backing of public opinion in the matter. Even Australians are talking about the scandalous state of affairs, and a leading magazine published over there points out (hat since the change in Government things on the waterfront have become calamitous. “It

just makes it more difficult for New Zealand to compete with the world,” is how the .journal in question sums it up. A NEW MOVE. It is common talk in shipping circles that an attempt will be made to show that the present system on the waterfront has outlived its usefulness and that the best solution would be the formation of a. co-operative company composed of* selected watersiders with certain well-known trade union officials as directors. In the opinion of shipping men this would be very much worse because it would mean that the whole of New Zealand’s shipping and export activities would have to dance to the tune piped by one coterie. But the present system will and can work satisfactorily—if it is permitted to.