WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 170, 17 January 1912, Page 8

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

IS A STRIKE COMING?

By Telegraph—Press Association. Napier, Tuesday.

A meeting of waterside workers was held last evening to consider matters! connected with the present dispute. The; meeting was not open to the press, butj the secretary, seen by a reporter, said: "There is nothing to make public, but the position is serious." AN AUCKLAND DISPUTE. Auckland, Tuesday. The shipping companies and employers of wharf labor have filed a dispute under the Arbitration Act; and the 30th i inst. has been fixed as the date of hear-* ing. The position is peculiar. The local J branch of the Waterside _ Workers'! Union recently took a vote with a view | to the fcancellation of registration and carried the proposal by a considerable. majority, but when the matter came 1 ■before the registrar he refused to cancel 1 on the ground that the majority was not j a majority of the total members of thej union. The employers ask for various j mpdifications in the existing award, including exclusion of the preference clause. . ! I WAGE SCALE AGREED TO. ' Wellington, Last Night, j After a conference lasting five days between the representatives of the waterside porkers arid the ■employers throughout New Zealand, a working agreement was reached this evening. Practically all the shipping companies and about 400 men are concerned. Full details have not yet ; been fixed, but these present no difficulties. ■ The basis of the agreement is that the wages are increased twopence per hour v all round on the 'existing rates for ordinary work, and overtime work in specified cases, such as the handling of frozen meat, the increase agreed to is threepence an hour. The agreement applies to practically all ports in the Dominion, open and tidal.