WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 August 1922, Page 8

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

HEARING OF THE DISPUTE. l/fcw PLYMOUTH EVIDENCE. At thp sitting of the Arbitration Court in Wanganui last week to' evidence in the waterside workers' dispute. Mr. Smith, for the eihpldyers, dealt with rhe New I’lyrn^tflh dispiiie, the main point of which, he explained, had to do with the second call for labor. Percy J. Ballard, master stevedore. Wellington, said that when certain overseas ships worked New Plyruouth he went there to supervise their work-v ing. He said that delays and expense frequently took place there owing to the absence of a second call for labor. He qitoted specific instances /Where this had occurred. Sometimes meat -had tobe returned to the store. There had also been some trouble over the main clause.

William Groombridge, foreman stevedore for the Union Company at New ! Plymouth, said that extended hours i were necessary for the efficient Working of the port. ’ He gave instances where men bad been engaged in anticipation of ships’ arrival, but owing to their not turning up when expected, waiting time had to be paid- Had there been a second call this would have been obviated. Labor could be only engaged at eighty, o’clock in the morning. Witness com>! plained that on some . occasions Bien knocked off work on account of raim when there was no necessity. The.' average number of • working hours were 30 per week. There were about 48 to 50 men permanently earning a livelihood. He quoted an instance where 15 men who were waiting in the shed refused employment because it was after eight o'clock. Addressing the Court, Mr. Roberts, for the union, said that at New ; Plymouth most of the men lived long dis-‘ tances from the wharf. This had been ' recognised by the employers, and that was the reason of the engagement at eight o’clock. Up to 1920 there Was no demand for a midday call. The employers insisted on it, and a clause was embodied in the award. New Plymouth unanimously turned, the agreement down, but it was finally registered. He regarded the proposed transfer clause to transfer men from ships to wharf work as unfair.

In connection with the work at Waitara. Mr. Roberts said that the 1920 agreement was arrived at in ten minutes. The men were Natives and worked so hard that very few took on the kind of job. They came in from the country to take on the work, and the average daily wage for 24 hours was £2 10s. This was not, he contended, an excessive amount for piece-work. If a reduction was made the only fair way •would be on the basis already made by the Court in connection with the cost of living- Very little w’ork had been done at Waitara during the last two years. Fred. Hill, president of the New Plymouth Waterside Union, said he had been on the wharf for five years. Work on Saturdays lasted from 8 a.m. till 5 p.m., and to 6 o'clock If trying to finish a boat. He had never had any com-

plaint about delaying ships on Saturdays. Requests had been made to work after five, but in eases were it would entail working all night the men refused. but always agreed to start on Sunday- He had never known a case where men started at Sunday midnight, nor had he heard of men being asked..

He quoted figures to show the quick rate of work on the wharf in handling various classes of cargo. There were as a rule 60 to 70 men working on the wharf, about 25 to 30 for the Railway Department. He had not heard of any complaints of delay. The men could not be blamed for* delays to ships, as they were always ready for work, and the employers should have better information regarding their arrival. John /Xnderson, waterside worker at New Plymouth, gave evidence regarding coal handling and the number of men employed in the various gangs. He considered Ghat it would be better for the employer if the hatchman was supplied with gloves for hauling the rope. Witness considered that it would be better for the employers to supply jerseys for men working in freezers than to pay them 6d per day jersey money. He said that lip met with a good deal of. mitey and mouldy cheese, and it gave the men a considerable amount of trouble. He was not prepared ttf agree to relieving gangs being put on to work all night- He did not think that New i Plymouth men would agree to that.