"A UNITED FRONT."

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 88, 15 April 1910, Page 3

"A UNITED FRONT."

NEW ZEALAND LABOUR S AIMS. THE WATERSIDE WORKERS. Mr. H. I*. Voye, general secretary of the New Zealand \V'atei>ide Workers' Federation, in couise of a conversation with a Post reporter yesterday, gave some interestim; details of the trend of NewZealand labour towards unity. "There i-," lie *ahl, "a vigorous, labour campaign going on throughout the country troni the North Cape to the Bluff. We workeis have come to «cc that if we are to have our just rights recognised we must present a united front. "Ar a beginning we start with federation of unions. Now the Waterside Workers are federated. There are ten unions in the federation, and they number over 4000 men. The unions of all the ports are in, from the north to Dunedirt? I might say to the Bluff, but the union there is at present in course of formation. With our federation we shall bo able to command uniform conditions at all ports as to houis of labour, rates of pay, and woiking rules and- methods. Well, not exactly unitoim, because an exception will be made in tho case of small ports, where shipping is not bo frequent as in the chief ports, and where a higher hourly rate of pay will be demanded, because shipping i« le-s frequent than at ports such as. Auckland, Lyttelton, or Wellington. "One of the 'strong piinciples recognised in our federation is this : As waterside workers are subject to instant dismissal, so they, too, have the right to leave off work at a moment's notice. Is not that fair? If employers have that »ij/ht, why not the men? '"Now for the Federation of Labour. Thi.- is a great undertaking. It means ! all the title says, comprehending all unions of woikers, miners, waterside workers, carters bootmaker? — all unions. You will bear more of that in Wellington shortly, because Messrs. D. M'Laren and R. Semple are to hold a mass meeting of workers here and put the whole scheme' before them. Relationships with Australian' worker?? That may come afterwards" Pasyine from the general to the particular, Mr. Voyce said there was a strong tendency as the winter months diew nearer for workers of other callings to flock to the ports to the prejudice of the boaa fide regular wharf labourer. This competition was bad for all parties except employer*. It tended to narrow down the wages, spreading a given sum expended on wharf labour over a larger area, so that even if there were plenty of work there were more men to do" it, and it was difficult for the "regular . man" to obtain a living wage. This problem was c-onfronting the Watei.-ide Workers' Federation at the moment, and iU .-atisfactory solution was. admittedly most difficult.