TROUBLE ON THE WHARF

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2990, 30 January 1917, Page 6

TROUBLE ON THE WHARF

TWO STEAMERS AFFECTED MEN'S SERVICESIHSPENSED WITH The New Zealand Shipping pany's steamer from Liverpool via Auckland arrived hero last Friday to continue tho discharge of her general cargo, and was berthed at tho King's Wharf. Owing to a shortage of labour on the waterside a start could not be mado with her discharge here until yesterday morning. Dp till noon the work was proceeded with in the three fore hatches by means of "slinging," which means stacking a certain amount of cargo in rope slings. It was intimated to tho men that it was the intontion to continue the discharge of the cargo in tho afternoon by "dumping" the cargo, which is a technical expression for placing tho cargo in large nets, which are hoisted on- to the wharf by means of cranes, and then trucked away to the sheds. At 1 p.m., or a few minutes later, the nets were ordered on board, whereupon the men said that they declined to "dump" the cargo. The New Zealand Shipping Company's stevedore insisted that the cargo should be "dumped" instead of "slung" and the men, still refusing, wore informed that their services would be no longer required whereupon tho hatches were put on' and all work on the vessel ceased. About half an hour or so later, the work of tho men. engaged in loading butter on another New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer came under the observation of the shipowner's representative It appears that tho usual practice is to load a net with about forty-five cases of butter, but the men were only sending up thirty or thirty-two boxes to a sling, and according to the shipowners' authorities, were taking more time over it than appeared to bo necessary. Owing to this state ot aftairs, the stevedore, acting under instructions, knocked the butter gang off. The loading of wool and cheese was continued during the afternoon. The men from the vessel first referred to helped to replace the hatches, and departed from the job peaceably and in some instances in the merriest humour. One man who was hailed by a mato and asked what was the matter replied with a laugh that tSey had been "sacked." About forty men were affected.

Mr. William Bennett, secretary of the Waterside Labour Employment Association, referring to the trouble on the first vessel, said that the employers simply wanted the cargo handled one way, and the men wanted to do it in. another. The men were informed that the cargo .had to be "dumped," and as they would not "dump" they were not wanted. The work of dump'ing cargo was no harder for the men than slingin £ jtj but it was a more rapid way of discharging. As no work had been done since the vessel's arrival on Friday it was necessary to give her as quick a dispatch as possible. The ijessel in question has Home cargo for Lyttolton l'ort Chalmers, and the Bluff. According to the amended industrial agreement, which terminated on December 31, but remains in force pending another agreement being arranged —"it is agreed that the work of the employers at all ports shall in future be carried on in the same manner as prior to August 20, 1915." Mr. Bennett says it was quite understood by all parties that the stipulation quoted meant "dumping" when dumping cargo was required, by tho employers. It may be doubtful as to whether the incidents mentioned can bo technically described as a "lock-out"—it is a case of the services of men being dispensed with-as they did not see their way to carry on tho work in the manner prescribed by the employers. Tho trouble follows hard upon a conference between employers and watersidors' representatives which ended last Friday without any result. Owing to the largo number of steamers in Wellington at the present time, waterside labour is scarce.