WATERSIDE AGREEMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXIX, Issue 9654, 10 July 1919, Page 5

WATERSIDE AGREEMENT.

WELLINGTON, July 9. In reporting to members of the New. Zealand Waterside Workers'. Federation on the agreement recently'adopted securing increases of pay, the official organ pf the federation indicates that the whole question will have to be reopened next December, when, the agreement- in regard to general working conditions wiU expire. The increased wages recently granted were made retrospective as from 31 arch "13, bub the mon's official organ declares that it is not overfed over what has'been obtained. "The increases'," it states/ "barely meet the increased cost of liv»-. ing, and it is indeed doubtful if tho tL.uirlard of living of the wateraider is now as high as in pre-war days. Tha difficulties'the watersiders, and in fad all the progressive trade 'unions, have to* face are tho small increases which some of the trade unionists are satisfied with, and until labour is organised to raise wages as a whole, there will be this dead weight to carry. The agreement has till the end of 1019 to run. and we hope by that time the transportworkers will be-so organised that they will be able to secure not only an increase in wages but a shortening of the. hours of labour and a general improvement in the conditions of toil on the wat-erf rents."