WHARF LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2218, 3 August 1914, Page 4

WHARF LABOUR

■' MINIMUM WAGE SCHEME" THE ARBITRATION ACT VIOLATED PROPOSALS OPPOSED > 'A ainss meeting of wharf labourers to tho number of between five and six . hundred was held in the Kind's Theatre yosterday afternoon,- fcr tho ; purpose of considering. the. scheme, -for the betterment of . employments. 011 the wharves, as wcll as the proposed mini-mum-wage, viz., £2 10s. Tho ing was very orderly,- and thoso present listened with interest : to l a report of an inten-i.ew :with Mr. AV.' Bennett, manager of tho'-Wollmgton Employers' Co-op*erativesWharf "labourers' Associa- : tion.,- ;. Mr. :;Joiiii':Rigg 'presided, aiid Mr. G. H.;: Gray proceeded to l'ead to .thoso' ipresent'Hlie-v'lrep.ort, above.; 'llio, speaker and Mr. J. G , Brace waited oir Mr." Bennett on Thursday, 'July 30, and "the following was, a correct statement of what happened Ifc : Gray said .that tho majority--iti tho men working on;.thejivharf had had

~no opportunity to dismiss their ..posi-' tion, ; because the scheme had never.! >4. been], placed before them.. Further, -as a mass meeting of workers on : tho wharf was to be-held on August 2, . . it was essential that facts should bo '•c'.i . Vplaced - before .thtr'mgij'-V-6P; T 'that^the > . •scheme might be .-considered. > . Mr. ; Bennett ,asked : /whether Messrs: . Bruce .and Gray were • : .'speaking_ .on-' h<K ;■ half,2of 'the 'uuion-*oi£Vas.jlndrnduali}.' Mr. :,Gray replied as individuals, ; and Mr. said that *he was pro- , pared Jto givo ,any information. The- ./ scheme was-an experiment, and' an

-hon<sti attempt by the employers to im- ■ . provp ' the present _ unsatisfactory method, of -employing" ifatfeffroiitr'■ There' was "no guarantee regarding wages, but tho employers would. givo any person on -the - list -orp'ancl an opportunity to earn an average wago ot'£2 (This V:; ■ li'asfsiuco .beeifc-'.i-juSed '-to - £2.'losV~per.: week.) .This ~\vage"would bo a muuvmum for'the lowost paid man, and not tho maximum. • - . , Miv>Grav: .When a.man. has, earned £3 o'n' a job, .'and' the job is not finished, ;w)ll bo he- put'oft to "allow Komo .' otheKniau to ;ear'n .his' £2'Bs? : '.' :: . - MrJ->Bcnnott:. No,.certaiiily ;not. . We V--:-; set - out .to provido.'.work sq that tlifs if'V- shall earn £2 Bs. i Mr:"Gray: How will the men get on . the <hst? . .. ... Mr., Bennett: The. employers .5 will : ■ v. •• nominate -the men they require. Mr.' Gray: Will nominated men bo compelled cr bo expected .'to attend a place, of engagements every .'da}'? ~ Mr.;.Bennett: They-•will be expected to attend,but'failiiro to attend will not/ mean >a black ; mark.' :: "Bu't -if not' thoro"whcn calledithe;valuo.of the;v : Ork -V lost.-will ba, recorded, to their: npino as an opportunity lost to earn tho sum named. In iexplanation of tho ingj.-Mr. Bennett . said .that, siipposo.lhe ,; . XTniojii Company's, foreman -was putting '. ' • on'men and he' reported'tliat.'Jones, or .' ' 'Smitli'didvriot aiiswer. tho c<>U;' ho might*hayV a grudgo against' or di.sliko to so it was proposed that - the names of the; men who .failed to Answer-tlio call should be posted .so j;: .: mall, himself ;,(if - not' working) v could ;see ' that ho had been ■ reported . fbf ; 'n6n T attendance.:. v ; ... Mr.* Gray On a busy, day, say, forj i icoM.'seoHon,' the -foreman exnausted' his list arid requires moreyneij, wlio will tell" him what men to engage:?. Mr. BonnottV. I shall, from - some other company's 1 , list or panel. ■ Mr. -Gray :- Tlion if -1 was on a list, say. Westport ■Coal Company or. Blackball Coal Company, "Iwbuld "not liiie up i ,to the Union Company if. my companybad no work in? J[r.-Bennett::; No. Some conversation .then took place as t-oMvJiat would happen if several col- ■ ■ . delayed r by bad" weather and/all .'wrived-' at t>n'c'e; ; 'as Happened jsn£' snapped up, evon men who had been . .'black-balled for.. years.... ' ) To .this M,i\ -Bennett rsa:id :- ; T/ben:Hh» : ■ *first list had_ been exhausted the sup- - plement.ary /'list. would bo used, "and-if that ■ also—well, tho same as ,they do mow—get air and sundry. . ■ The .'matter, of a charge for "a, tckeri'. orrbadgo came up, ana Mr. Bci-oett' . said that/it was proposed to make - ; a, cht&fto* of 2s. 6(1. for this identification -v- token.! A ' Is. .charge was suggested, it was thought that the larger' sum' . would .make'"-meri'.--H6ro'!careful..'W ■ ilr. ;Gr.w: .Will riomiriated irrieri) b'e cxpected to carry the tokerifand:;show : ' it at all times?-. .. r|| S Mr. Bennett ribt. *bnly • days, so that ,we can have proof . . of'identity. ' (This has been since altered bysMr. Bennett, viz. : Men- 1 for their must carry the token for identification purposes if wanted by • the foreman of labour.) ■" Continuing, • Mr. -Bennett said: :"Understand tliis: At any ti&o any'man leaving tho association. can obtain' hi< deposit (2s. Cd.) by applying to me or) handing in his token or.;,badge. .'. . : Mr- Gray:' Will the nominated men : be expected to do. all classes of worksay, a:coal worker do freezer's work or cargo, or?.vice-versa?* ' '. , Mr. Bennett: Well, 'yes. If they aro busy in ono section, "and -nothing or little doing in tho -other. . . Mr. Gray: How,many men do ;you t expect to ; start the.schemo with?.. ... . . .Mr. Bennett: Seven hundred; is sug- • • gest-ed. This does not include tho Har- . hour .Board men, ,but you understand, I ! have said this'is an experiment, arid the panel will > be adjusted according to re» quironienis. Mt'/Bf-tico asked a question with'resist the position, of the Compensation Act, to which Mr. Bennett replied: : I.am glad you mentioned thafc" ; It will . niake no difference to tho men As rethat.'/ Tho'':employers have "signed , • • an-agreement for'.-threo years, and-havo every intention of carrying, it .out.'--This scliemo, as I liiico' said, is an honest attempt to better the status of the mbn. and-the wagesretc./of-the-agrce-merit will be carried- out and the comperisatioir""is"'fc6m'f>uted"on'''a : s week, at .the. rate of .pay. agreedto. ~ —- Mr. Bruce asked: Efow i;he man ivho

• • was not on tho list, would get oil; Ho : „ had .very, little, chancq. of ...earning, ovon. • a "'crust, and "if ho had" to wait .until ■ allHhe panels, wore exhausted before'ho could get-a-job tho rate of .-pay agreed upon would not allow hiin .to'livo.,.Mr. ' Bpico- added: "You want theso. , : men on busy'lays now, arid more so . when tho .season is on, "and this is-one-■ofvthe-difficulties which will arise." ' ;slr. Bennett: -Yos, the. position 'might arise, but the scheme-was •in experiL: mental, stages, irid if .tho": nieri will only understand,'.that }'I aril sf/rfc of /.cork fender betweenjtho nien and their troubles, I s feel sureHliat the scheme wilT'be'a'sriccess. "Mr. Bennett pointed oiit.that'he would deal with any complaints and have them redressed.: ■, wjjere nccessary.- -.- •••■ ■ . Some questions involving the"' l'thion arid its. members wem'.theii asked;, but Mi-; Bennett said' that! ho' would- not-dis-enss union matters. The scheme, 'continned tMr. '.Bennett, woiild . lJave to.b'Q" 1 PKplained .to ;the;''workers, but. bis po'si- ; ■ 1 ion wns_vory difficult, / and. although 1 • he-would like' to put-the'scheme to the nien be would hav-9 to consultrtho. association before be could say-definitely; The abote report was read .-.-to/yflift : meeting. It could bo seen''tliat,'a'*gbbd !\ majority of those present were against j tlio scheme.; ■' ~. Mr. Gray--"then moved:- "That- this meeting -Ims. thoroughly discussed tho : '• .report and th.pt n deputation composed 1.: ; or M-.x-strikers- arid preference men- be

■ sot ,up to report to Jlr. Bennett ,the opinion of the men hero assembled, 011 tho .scheme." -

In moving tho motion Mr. Gray said 'that tlioro wei'G somo things in tho "6chomo which were good for tho wharf labourers. One was tho central. pay offlco.. This, ho thought, would meet with general approval. The scheme would Be alright for tho lucky men 011 the panel, but t'hoso not on tho lists would havo little opportunity to. obtain employment'. He considered that the minimum :.;wage of £2 10s. would not long, remain to bo the minimum—it would becomo tho maximum. ~ , ' Mr. Geo. 'Bruce seconded tho motion and .pointed , out. that tTio scheme had been turned down in other parts in Now Zealand. Ho urged the men that' if thoy wore opposed to the scheme to stand together. Mr.' J. Collins moved the following amendment :n"That this scheme being a direct '.violatipn, of the Industrial Arbitratioriand CbncilisltioivAct, Mr Bennett bo notified that tho ■union, being registered under that act, can have nothing to do. with any such scheme."

Mr. D. Smith seconded the amen'd.meiit*;s

members of' the union then spolw against tho scheme, and stated I'that iiiSvas/nothing more or/less than I citej within preference., l-'i'lio "siihe'rie was not a new one—it had ;boen;. r without success. was a baited trap, '-and-thoj'mp'loyers were waiting-l'or the : \fliarftlahofi|ers to take tho 'hook., The id&|6r^i > V?fiehriett~dealing with -com.opposed. It was suggest?. an Appeal Board would meet tho,';cs]|p-and this suggestion met with, practically general approval. A telegram from Wanganui was read stat •ing that', the Federation of Labour was agaiiistpthavspheme an<J offering-assist-ance;/ICwer'ally speaking thcS scheme was:>«fesid^ed. one* which would tend "to cause-trouble; in the summer time.

The voting on the motion and amend-'-iriqiit- waVtnen taken.' The voting on ■the motioiiiwas: Ayes, 266; Notes, 289. Th'b afnendrnerit- was then put and carried, practically unanimously, amid loud applause. A vote of thanks to the c'hairman'concluded the business.. • '■' ■ It was announced that Mr. Bennett would explain the scheme which comes jnto operation on August 12, to a meet ing of wharf labourers to be held this week.. • - • " .»' ■