WATERSIDE LABOUR

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 177, 14 April 1923, Page 11

WATERSIDE LABOUR

THE HARBOUR BOARD STAFF SYSTEM OF EMPLOYMENT DESCRIBED In view of the Waterside Union’s requests to the Harbour Board in connection with a' committee of selection, with representation of the union on it, for the management of waterside labour, a Dominion reporter made inquiries yesterday for the purpose of ascertaining how the system in force was being carried out, and its resemblance to the scheme adopted recently by the shipping companies. The Harbour Board was chiefly concerned in tho welfare of the men employed by it when an attempt was made to regulate the selection and engagement'of waterside workers, and the system in force at present, commenced years ago, has been gradually evolved as the result of experience. The board finds that there are always good men anxious to secure employment with it, principally because it has always been impartially administered, every step possible is taken to see that no undue favour is given to any particular worker or number of workers, a complete system of comparative records of wages is kept, and it is possible to ascertain week by week, month by month, and year by year, the amount each man has received, and his average wage. There are about 300 men on the preferred list, each man having a brass disc with a distinguishing mark on it to designate his employment. lhe mon are divided into classes—gangs ot 4 pairs, and individuals. When men arp required for work at 8 a.m. they are called by name, and proceed to obtain their brass discs, which' have to be shown to the officer in charge of the job they are told on for. In regard to subsequent cabs, their letters and numbers are posted on the office window, with the ,probable time at which they may be required to secure their discs and start work. The lifting of the discs is taken as a guarantee that the men selected will be on hand for the call. When the men are finished the discs are taken by the officer in charge of the work, who discharges them, giving an indication that they are open for re-engagement. Iho discs are first passed back to. the office where the wages account is kept, and then go immediately to the labour engagement office- It has been found that if there is a rush of work and extra men beyond the 300 on the board’s list are required, many of the men listed at the steamship companies’ engagement bureau are always available ; in fact, they are only too anxious to give the Harbour Board employment preference. Particular care is taken to prevent any useless hanging about the wharf of men looking for work. Tho system employed is ’to notify as early as possible not only the men required, but thq probable requirements for the day or the next day. For instance, at 11 a.m. yesterday, there was a blackboard in front of the office with the letters “N.D.” on it. This meant that there was no work (nothing doing) in sight for the remainder of the day. Should there have been a possibility of employment in the afternoon or next morning, such a notice as the following would have been put up: “Probable call, 1 p.m., s.s. Katoa, B.E-G. (representing 1 gangs), 2,3, 4. (representing pairs), and 106, 107 (hundreds representing individuals).” The workers required being thus designated, there is no necessity for the rest of the watersideis to attend in the afternoon, and they are freed for the day. There is a desire on the part of the Watersiders’ Union to obtain representation on a selection committee to bo set up, but while it might be a perfectly proper thing for companies of employers to carry that system into effect, it is considered questionable whether a public bodv like the Harbour'Board should introduce it into its administration, at least until very strong reasons are adduced for the adoption of such a course. The system of engagement is said to have proved entirely satisfactory to the workers concerned, and there has only been one trivial complaint during the last twelve months. A glance at the wages earned during that period sliows that there is a marked similarity between the wages earned by the different grades of men, and the adjustments being made frequently (in some cases weekly) prevent any long period elapsing before the pay is evened up. It is believed that the system is working smoothly, that the men recognise they are getting a fair deal right through, and that any interference with the tactful manner in which the scheme is being carried out would not be in the interests of the worker.