WHARF LABOR DIFFICULTY.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 February 1917, Page 5

WHARF LABOR DIFFICULTY.

EMPLOYERS' ATTITUDE VOLUNTARY LABOR TO BE ■ENGAGED. , ■ THE MAYOR'S APPEAL, " 1 By Telegraph.—P'"-- Associate ' Wellington, East Nigh't. A call was mado at 7.45 this. rooriM ing for men to work the cargo &t thej ships lying at the wharf. There was noj response so far as the large steamem were concerned, but work on Coasting* vessels proceeded as usual. At 1 o'clocfc Mi. Bennett, manager of the Employ* inent' Association, asked if the menwergi, prepared to work dumped cargo. Thejp / declined, and Mr. Bennett then am nnunced that he would not call for f»r any other vessel till the discharge o& the cargo from the steamer whereon thai dumping dispute occurred is finished. The dispute has now been referred td| the Citizens' Defence Committee, whicii , announces that till the Union is prw pi.red to work all ships under the ternuf of the current agreement, thq will bo compelled to resprt to |uch voN untary labor aa may be available. Defence Committee also points out that the Union has committed breathes o$ the, agreement this week by refusing tot accept engagement at the hours slated in the agreement, by restricting thci m.mber of boxes of butter in the hoisftt 1 by refusing to dump cargo, and by re* ' fusing to work after 5 p.m. when re* quired. 1 v The Mayor to-night is making an ajH peal to the watersiders to resume worfc , / at this time of stress, and in view of} the specially urgent need for the din < patch of foodstuffs for the Imperial Gkjj» eniment's use. , f STATEMENT BY WATERSIDERSu „ \ Wellingtori, February 1. A meeting of watersiders to-nSgjMi t adopted a resolution endorsing the ao \ tion of the delegates in refusing to siriw mit the dispute to the Arbitration Court and declaring that they will loy< ally abide by that decision, and, more* over, "should any members be summon* ed by the Court as assessors, they sftall : state that they are not authorised to act on behalf of the Union, and that the Federation bo instructed that thtj only possible way in which the agree* meiit can be arrived at satisfactorily M i • the Wellington watersiders is by H ■ round-thc-table conference." Another resolution denied the statement made* by employers that members impeded oj refused to work 011 troopships or shipa) carrying produce commandeered by thq Imperial authorities, nor ia it their tention to do so. . TROUBLE AT NAPIER, Napier, Pel*. 8. The watcrßiders attended from Ban , n a.m. at the shed this morning, and M ' no engagements were made the - went home. The collier Kurow unloading, but it is believed, the Company will order her on to anotbgA port. I Later in the day the men will offejf to accept work between 1 and 2 PWj but only on condition that there i> W be no overtime. REFUSAL TO WORK. Wellington, Feb. % > - At the 7.45 call for labor on th# waterfront to-day, though there were *' / ( gieat number of men about the ctand* none would accept work on the Home liner concerning which there has been t! cubic in regard to dumping, the stipu» iatiou being made that dumping should proceed. Consequently labor for tha ( tlier boats was not engaged, with thq exception of the Wellingfam-Lyttelton ferry steamer Maori. Only the boats which were working yesterday and th« ~ ferry ateamcr are to-day being dis* charged or loaded. The vessels affected are mainly units of the coastal fleets.