WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1915, Page 2

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

EMPLOYMENT OF NON-UNIONISTS. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. An echo of the strike of 1913 is to he found in the charges of victimisation which were levelled against the Waterside Unions of Auckland and Greymouth by Mr. J. McCombs, M.P. for Lyttelton, in the House of Representatives. The unions came into evidence after the strike, and their members were chiefly men who had worked on the wharves during the strike, IWihen the Auckland Union was formed one of the rules provided that all future members should be admitted by ballot, the idea being to prevent the control of the union reverting- to the instigators of the strike. Under the rule referred to, no watersider who was a member of the Federation of Labor or any kindred body would be eligible for admission. It is this bar upon membership which is the cause of the trouble. In regard to the statement that hardship has been caused to non-union workers, members of the union state that very little hardship had been caused, much less, in fact, than in the case of unions which have the preference clause, and to which admission is free to all men of good character. When shipping is slack in Auckland the .union members have preference, but every week, they state, there is a rush of larger or smaller dimensions, and then non-unionists are freely called upon. Moreover, once a non-unionist starts work on a ship he is kept on till work is finished, regardless of how many unionists are employed. Members of the union say they have no desire to deprive the non-unionists of work. The only intention manifested is to prevent any of the restless element from securing control of the union. .Some Of the members oi the union expressed the opinion that the decision of the Wellington Union to cease work at 10 p.m. was the beginning of further waterside trouble, which appeared to have been threatening for some time. The workers in Auckland receive 2s 3d an hour fur all work done after 10 p.m., and look forward to this overtime as a substantial portion of their week's earnings, the ordinary pay during daylight hours being Is oil an hour. The action of the Wellington Union, coupled with the expressed desire to bring the Auckland and Greymouth Unions into line with the others, is regarded by them as ominous.