WHARF LABOUR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 302, 15 September 1908, Page 9

WHARF LABOUR.

COMPLAINTS OF AUCKLAND. EMPLOYERS. ' THE OTHER SIDE. '.' (BT- TELEOEAFH.'-HIPECIII, CORRESPONDENT.) " Auckland, September 14. • Following upon. the allegations against Auckland wharf labourers, the "Star" now publishes a denial from the union. 'Mr. Janies Collett, secretary of the union, remarking on the statement of an employer regarding the refusal, of the men to work on Saturday'ftorning,..stated'that a number of the^ine'ii'had a'distinct objection to working for this' particular employer, in that ho had giVen preference in-employment to a certain gang of men whom lie generally. kept for. this work,' only taking on .other men when Tffsown men wore not available. The IndraSir. said, .had arrived on a Tliurs'day, ! 'and' men'had been taken off othervessels : to-put oil her. Then a request <was, forthcoming for 'otlifcr'-men to go on the Invertay,: whichJiad.almost completed-her ' discharging.; '* ' ';■ "Any maii,'"')said-Mr: i Collett, "has a natural objection Ito 'tak'ingi 'the leavings of other lumpers who ■have theiprefcrenco in work, and who' are' taken -from one 'boat; before it is completed imd~pnt->'<Ar another just arrived „so,-.as ■to get :continuous work. .Of .course, .lie,does not'think it'fair'that' an-' .other • should.'go'- on 1 to the' hew job : wliile all he can»get'iß i a job finishing up the' tfo'rloof-'tlii former."-'-" '■" • '•■■ln;regard to'th'e assertion of another" em-. : ployer-Mr.- Collett said that a member of -that firm .had- como to the shed 1 on Saturday*for; men. to" lbad 1 the vehicles. He had ' > ljeeii' employing' 'a "party of' men right from * ! the"Monday till'the Friday, but these on the' Saturday had'not-turned up. "They, very i; probabT.v Wanted' 1 to go-to football, too," said. Mx;.,.Collett, "iijld,' when "they did not .'arrive' ' the -man'.comes' down to get men for the Saturdayi.morning 'hi place of' those who had I'beoniirogularly'employed during the week." » (Mh. AV."F.'Gibb) and the ex-president (Mr. E.';E. Canhan) also ex-' ' pressed' < opinions .in corroboration .of. the. ; secretary's" statement. ',' . :Mr; ;Gibb stated that' the union had applied to '- the Harbour Board for more accommodation, -with■'the offer that,' if given the''slied,"'they w r ould undbrtake :.to k<tej):out;tls''iile'tf' Vh'6''would''not. work. '/fhe;'union' had' 'llow'ilo control' over the shed. ■There wouldj he tlioughtj be plenty of men •to .work' the vessels'if every, berth was occu•pi'e'd,~but "the men could not all "hang round" 'thei'wharves'when so.'littlo employment'was 'sopietimes''availaljle. '' 'For instance, at the • ond;bf.:this"week' the' Victoria and Wimmera Would' Tie "in. port J' .and •''not riibro than 200 men''would'be required, the general number, in employment being about 600' or 700. : Mr. 'Canhan added that in other ports the "workers li&d; commodious waiting-roonis. adei'liitnbi'r bf men; 1 ' lii .Auckland there" wore'about 1000 men on the Wharves, -while:the-shed would only hold 50 men, and that" would meau crowding. As for gamb'liiig, 'he' thought the casrd games w;ero only 'played for pennies and;matches. "One official* ■has; said;'' he concluded, "that'tlio men'want l to pick: their, jobs.' It is a fact that certain, 'ken'"follow eertaih 'classes 'of work. If 'I lave' not Secured-work' and "have a good prospect of getting'it, do you think-1 am going to work for half a-day for ss. or 7s. 6d. when rcaii see a.job wortlr 30s. ? The majority oi 'those men''wh'o'were in the she'd on.Satur-' '.day' Were.'waiting for'the-officer of the Union'• , Company to tell them off for a midnight start 'on' the; Moana,--which -would under ordinary 'circumstances have left for Sydney to-day. If. these.employers mentioned keep their own men, and; the latter don't'turn up, it stands to 'reason- that we are not going ,to finish J tlieir work'for them for half a day, and lose thf!..-,chfinqe, meanwhile of a good job." It was also., explained'that maliy men objected to'work at Is. 3d. an hour 1 in the discharge ■ of such' cargo as sulphur, superphosphates and boriedustj "such as, lias been landed. in'Aucklaud''dunng the. last two weeks. .; _