"THINGS GOING ON."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1335, 12 January 1912, Page 5

"THINGS GOING ON."

CARGO WORKERS. PROGRESS OF THE COXGEESS. Tho delegates to ,thn watersidcrs' conforonco spent tho greater part of yeslcrtiny in discussing those demands of (lis Federal ion of Labour which refer lo work in "open' 1 ports—ports which can ho worked without reference to tTic state of tho tide! Tho demands, which refer to the smaller "tidal" ports, liko l'atea, where a shallow entrance sometimes entails delay and peculiar conditions of waterside employment, liavo not yet como under review. Jfo definite oonclusion was come to in reference to ib.» work at open port?, but it is understood that tho liroceedings .. wero of an amicable character. In tho latter part of tho afternoon tho shipowners' representatives held a oonforenco (apart from tho labour delegates) and drew up counter proposals to those of the Federation. These counter proposals will bo submitted to the main conference, to-day. In Strict Camera, As on tho previous day the proceedings of tho conference wore in strict camcra. Mr. C. Holdsworth, general manager- of. tho Union Steam Ship Company was interviewed during the.: evening. • Ho' stated that "things wero going on," but courteously declined to commit himself.,.. to any more definite announcement. Mr. R; Scrapie, organiser of' the Fed; • . .oration of Labour, was equally reticent. He declared himself unable to say how long tho conference would take -to com- - •' pleto its business, but remarked that it would tako at least eeveral days. . Another delegate .hazarded . iron estimate that tho conference would require tho best part of a week to com- ' plete its remaining. labours. From the general attitude of delegates it is plain " that an eamest 'eiTort will be iriado'b.r ' both parties to formulate and ratify tno projected national agreement. . • What the Demands Amount to. Tho demands with which tho Fedoration of Labour approached tho employer* .. ... in the present conference wero' made pul>- • lie yesterday through the act of one delogatc who failed to observe the plwigu of socrecy to which representatives on both sides luid subscribed. The demands in'general , yrould involvo, - ■ if granted,' a"' big nil-round ■ incroaso 'in., t wages and considerable concessions by tho employers in regard to overtime and conditions of employment. A typical instance in the latter r.at<>gory is a demand tlmt men "eugajod''--but not actually set to work—shall l*e ; paid a minimum of two'hours' wages, nt ordinary or overtime rates, according to tlw hour at which they are engaged., ■ No such' condition,applies:'at prosini. the demand, which would greatly modify the conditions of waterside employment, sets out that no work 6hall bo performoiL between tho hours of 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. ; on five days of the weeK and 12 noon on Saturday. For stevedores, and men' handling general cargo, increases of 3d. per hour for ordinary time, and Cd. per hour overtime, arc asked for.

For watersiders handling manures and sulphur, 6d. per hour increaso on ordinary time, and Is. per hour increase for overtime, are demanded. For overhauling work on ships the demand is 3d. per liour increaso on ordinary time, and 6d. per hour increase overtime. , . . The samo increases aro asked for tlia work of trimming New Zealand coal and for shovellers, bull-rope men, winchinen, tramwaymen, tippers, plankmen, and b'lilkmeu working coal. These may bo taken as typical' instances of the wages demanded, but it is difficult to stri':e an approximate percentage of the increases askedTfor on .account of tho numerous grades of work covered by tho demands.

Apart from questions , of, wages and hours, the demands embody elaborate regulations regarding conditions of working. Such matters as ventilation, weights for trucking, and tho weight and the consti-' tutiou of slings in loading vessels aw dealt with exhaustively. Tho demands as a wholo involve so many concessions on the part of the employers that it may pass without saying that they will not be conceded in their entirely. One Labour delegate remarked yesterday, in a candid moment, that the demands in their present form may bo n. dead letter to-morrow It baa already been indicated that the employers are to submit counter proposals to-day. From the ; -comprehensive character of the Federation's demands, however, it may be assumed that if an agreement should result from tho conference it will bo as elaborately particularised n document as,has ever governed labour comli. tions in New Zealand.