AUCKLAND WATERFRONT

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 198, 22 August 1932, Page 8

AUCKLAND WATERFRONT

OLD CONDITIONS APPLY. NEW WAGES 'UNDER PROTEST' FIVE HUNDRED ' MEN ENGAGED. Labour on the Auckland waterfront was engaged this morning for the working of three overseas vessels, and one large and a number of small coasters. The men accepted engagement on condition that the terms of the old award were adhered to and made it clear that the new wages were accepted only under protest. The men working this morning totalled approximately 550.

The first call was made at 7.45 a.m., when a foreman from the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company announced from the stand that men for working the motor ship Taranaki would be engaged under the employers' new proposals and wages. On behalf of the union, Mr. R. Irvine, the walking delegate, asked whether that meant that the number of men in the gangs should be reduced, because the men would accept engagement only under the conditions of the old award. That meant that while the wages would be taken under protest, the manning of the gangs would have to be in accordance with t*ie old scale. The reply of the foreman was that he had no authority to engage men urrler those terms, and he left to consult his principals.

In ttie meantime a foreman from the New Zealand Shipping Company sought to engage men to work the oversea liner Ruahine under the new conditions and rates of pay, but he was informed by Mr. Irvine of the men's attitude. He also left to hand on the information to his employers. Shortly after 8 a.m. an informal conference was held between representatives of the union and of the employers, and Mr. 1 Irvine restated the position of the watersiders. "You say you are employing them under the new conditions, and we say we are accepting work under the old award," was the walking delegate's summing up of the men's attitude. Mer. Taken On. Immediately after the conference a further call for labour was made for men to work the Ruahine, and five gangs, comprising 115 men, were engaged. The size of the gangs engaged for work in the freezer, namely, twelve, was the same as under the old award. When a call was made for labour for the Union Company's coastal steamer Wingatui the demands of the union were again notified by Mr. Irvine to the employers' representative, following which eight gangs, totalling 130 men, were engaged. The same procedure was followed when the Auckland Stevedoring Company took on 22 men to work the coastal motor vessel Margaret W. It was at 8 -a.m. that the Northern Steam Ship Company called for labour under the new conditions for working a number of coastal vessels. As on previous occasions, the men's demands were stated to the employer. No comment was made, and 30 men were engaged. A call for labour under the new conditions was made for the Union Company's Royal Mail liner Aorangi at 9 a.m., and although Mr. Irvine stated that the men would insist on observing the old conditions, there was no comment, and six gangs, comprising 102 men, were taken on.

( Afternoon "Call." At 9.30 a.m. the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's representative called for labour for the Taranaki, and stated the terms. Mr. Irvine announced that the foreman had stated he was engaging twelve men for the freezer. There was again no comment, and two freezer gangs were employed, according to the old scale. Mr. Irvine was advised by Captain Cameron that extra men might be wanted, and inquired the time that ths last call could be made. "Ten fortyfive," replied Mr. Irvine. Captain Cameron said the call might be mad': at 1 p.m. Mr. Irvine's answer was: "If you come on the stand at 1 p.m. yon will not find anybody here." No Conditions Stated. Without stating conditions, the Colonial Sugar Company's representative at 9.30 a.m. engaged 22 men for a 1 p.m. start. At the same time the Union Company's representative called for one freezer gang for the Aorangi, but no conditions were mentioned. Twelve men, representing the old number of men engaged in the hold, were taken on. At 9.45 a.m. the New Zealand Shipping Company's foreman engaged a gang for work straight away, and two gangs for work at a 1 p.m. start. "Old Conditions Adhered To." "it is a noticeable feature of work on the waterfront to-day," said Mr. Irvine, when commenting on the situation up to 2 p.m., "that on every job the old conditions arc being observed. In two cases foremen seeking labour did not state the conditions, and the fact that four gangs were engaged for a 1 p.m. start is a tacit recognition of the union's adherence of the time of call as set out in the old award." Up till 1.30 no further calls for labour have been made.

"The employers insist that the water 1 siders should operate any new mechanical appliance for the dispatch of cargo or coal," Mr. Irvine added. "On the other hand, they deny us the benefit of the wireless machines installed on their ships. They demand that the men shall be in attendance up till 3 p.m., thereby putting them to unnecessary inconvenience and hampering- them ;■• fromattending to ordinary household calls and from undertaking any odd jobs for which they might otherwise be available. The proposed second call in the afternoon would also put the men to extra expenditure in the way of tram fares or the cost of meals in town."