WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 4 February 1922, Page 4

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

EMPLOYERS’ PROPOSALS FOR NEW AWARD.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. As previously announced, the employers of waterfront labor have decided to summon the various waterside workers’ unions before the Arbitration Court, jnstead of entering into a fi;esh national agreement with the Waterside Workers’ Federation. Under the national agreement, which expired oh December 3-1 last, the watersiders. were paid 2s 3d per hour ordinary time, and later they secured an additional Id per hour by way of bonus. The employers now propose that the rates of pay for Wellington watersiders shall be Is 7d per hour, with 3£d bonus. The clause with regard to commencing work reads: "Any man starting work must continue in that employment until he is discharged.” Special overtime has been eliminated, and a reduction of provided for in the case of men working coal. The employers propose that preference for unionises shall not be granted by the Court, the following being a suggested clause on the point: “Employers, in employing labor, shall not discriminate against members of the union, and shall not in any engagement or dismissal of men, or in the conduct of their business, do anything directly or indirectly for the purpose of injuring the union. When members of the union and nonmembers are employed together there shall be no distinction between them, and both shall work together in harmony and under the same conditions, and shall receive equal pay for equal work.” The award, it is asked, shall apply only to casual labor i employed from day to day, or from hour uo nour, and shall not apply to weekly or permanent employees. The following is the clause in respect to the “go-slow” policy, overtime, strikes, and “stop-work” meetings: “The adoption of “go-slow” policy, or any other attempt to restrict the output at any port, or any ship or wharf, or of overtime strikes, or the holding of stop-work meetings, shall in each case be a breach of this award, and the workers participating therein shall, in addition to any other penalties to which they may he liable, be also liable to instant dismissal and suspension from work on the wharf for such a period as the local disputes committee, or, in default of their arriving at a decision, as the Court of Arbitration shall decide. Any action taken by' the employers to combat any such tactics as those above mentioned shall not be deemed to be a 'breach of this award.” It is also provided that there shall be no general stoppage of work- for the purpose of attendance at inquests or funerals, and any men (not exceeding twenty in all) desirous of attending the funeral of members of the union s?iall be allowed time off to do so, but without pay. Clauses specify that the rates of pay fixed by the Court shall be increased br diminished by the amount of any order or orders relating to increases or decreases in wages which may be made >4roia time to time by th» OourJi