WATERFRONT WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LI, Issue 5, 6 January 1920, Page 5

WATERFRONT WORK.

THE NEW AGREEMENT,?* D SEEK OUTLUTE DEMANDS. - AIM AT SEVEN-HOUR DAY. 'Mi ! AND INCREASED WAGES. %* "X' b: There was no work on the Auckland waterfront this morning. The reason was ;hat the delegates from the recent VVatersiders' Conference at Napier reported simultaneously to their various aranches on the result of the delibera:ions. A stop-work meeting was held in £| the Watersidcrs' rest room on the wharf to hear the local delegates. a The Waterside Workers' Union is V due for a new agreement with the em- " ployers, the last agreement having expired on December 31 last. The rest room this JJ morning was crowded with waterside fi workers. It is understood that as a re- ° suit of the Napier Conference proposals « for new working conditions will he submitted to the employers. The most a important clauses are given below. h REPRESENTATION ON HARBOUR • a BOARDS. x The conference decided that steps be j takcii immediately in order that affiliated unions might have representatives on the Harbour Boards throughout the x Dominion, the object being for the water- . sidecs to eventually secure more control j. over stevedoring. g THE RAILWAYS. I As several complaints have been re- i ceived that the Railway Department did c not abide by the terms of the past agree- I ments* the conference unanimously re- f solved that in all future agreements the 1 Railways Department be cited as a party, and have to sign the agreement like all employers and the union. Preference to members of the Federation must also be < agreed to by the Department for all i classes of casual work on the waterfront, f WAGES AND CONDITIONS. ] Several committees were set up by the • Conference to deal with wages and working conditions. It was decided to ask for a flat rate increase on the existing rates at all ports. The Conference re- j solved to ask for an increase of sixpence [ an hour for all classes of work. With ; regard to holidays the Conference de- i I eided to exempt bar harbours and road-, 'steads from the operation of log-holi-. i days. The following rates for Sundays and holidays were agreed to: Treble overtime for Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday; double rate "for all overtime work done between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.; tre'ole rate for all -overtime thereafter. When men work part of an . hour tlie full hour' is to be paid for. For ordinary overtime /the CcSkference asks for an increase of 6d an hour on present rates. .wi*» NUMBER IN GANG. """ n *" ! The Conference instructed the officers of the Federation to instruct on a mini- , mum number of men in each gang for all .(classes-of -work; and should a dispute , arise the matter to be decided by a i loeal_committee at the port concerned. 1 " .. V"... .MEAL HOURS. """ Through the wording of the meal hour 1 clause in past agreements it was man- , datory for workers to work during the meal hour if called upon. The Conference decided to make it optional to * work during meal -hours. , COST OF LIVING. - ' The Conference was of opinion that ■the only method at present available to cope with the high cost of living was for the workers to demand a price for their only commodity, labour power, in keeping with the present high prices of the necessaries of life, and recommedwl all workers to adopt this method to ..maintain their standard of living. --, WORK AFTER MIDNIGHT. The Conference decided that work at al port shlould eea-se at midnight. ■ AUCKLAND SUGAR WORKS. The Conference recommended that the time for ceasing work at the Chelsea Works mean the time the men are ' landed back at the wharf in Auckland. SEVEN-HOUR DAY. After discussing the question of a [ seven-hour day the Conference indicated , that there would be no absolute cessa- ; tion of work after seven hours, but that the overtime rate commence after four ' p.m. in the afternoon, thereby obtaining recognition of the seven-hour day. TIME OF PAYING WAGES. The Conference unanimously supported " the remit that all workers be paid in the ' employers' time. ._»;«..«.■ I WATCHMEN. > It was decided that in the next agree--1 ment provision be made for the rates of l payment for watchmen employed on the wharves and on ships, and that waterside workers have the preference for this class of work. KNOCK-OFF TIME ON SATURDAY. The Conference agreed that work c should cease at noon on Saturday, with i a provision that bar-harbours and tidal y ports should be expected if the union so affected should desire. COAL HANDLING. It was unanimously agreed that all j men working coal shipped from any port ~ outside New Zealand should be paid 3d s per hour over and above the prevailing B rates for New Zealand coal. , The Conference agreed: "That the g carrying of coal and trimming in ■bunkers rate be made uniform in all jj ports, and that in any future agreement a the rate of pay for such class of work 0 shall be -2/9 carrying, and 2/fi trimming, j ordinary; overtime 3/5 3.'S, and : t whatever additional rate,? that may be c gained in the next agreement." » "That in ports where an extra rate is paid in ordinary time for coal work ■such extra rate shall be paid in overtime hours." MINIMUM PAY ON SUNDAY It was resolved that men employed on Sunday should receive a minimum of eight hours' pay even though they do not work that number of hours. r . CHEESE. ; d Handling cheese is considered hard I" work, and the Conference is asking (id :0 an hour over and above cargo rates for this class of work. BEPORT ADOPTED, p The stop-work meeting this morning l s in Auckland considered the recommenda 5 t tions of the Conference, and endorsee A. them. le == -