BIG MOVEMENT

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 137, 6 December 1912, Page 7

BIG MOVEMENT

AMALGAMATION OF SEAMEN'S UNIONS POSITION EXPLAINED BY LOCAL SECRETARY. ADMINISTRATION OF FUNDS. The cablegram received from Sydney yesterday respecting the amalgamation of the Seamen's Unions of Australia and New Zealand was explained at length to a Post reporter to-day by Mr. W. T. Young, Secretary of the Wellington branch of the Seamen's Union. "Ever dfince I returned from the Melbourne Conference, in 1909," said Mr. Young, "New Zealand has been moving in the direction of linking up with Australia, with the object of having the one organisation of seamen on this side of the Line, operating under one uniform set of rules atod conditions of work. Some time ago a plebiscite vote of New Zealand members was taken on the general question of amalgamation with Australia- The proposal was adopted by* an overwhelming mnjority~in fact, fcnere were vety few votes against the proposal. F EDERAL RULES. "Since then the New Zealand Executive Council has drafted a complete set of Fedoral rules and branch rules, which are in conformity with the rules of the Australian Federation. These have been submitted to the Wellington branch fo* approval, and have been unanimously adopted. They have also been submitted to the Auckland branch, and have been approved with one or two minor suggestion*. The Dunedin branch is now taking steps to hold a 'Special meeting for the purpose of adopting the rules. A copy of the rules has also been forwarded to the Executive Council 'Of the Australian Federation, along with an application by New Zealand for admission to the Australian Federation. We have received communications from the general secretary in Australia, asking for certain particulars in regard to branches here, and these ha-ve been supplied: No doubt these have been considered by the council across the water, and evidently, according to the cablegram, it has been decided to admit New Zealand into the Federation. WHAT IS PROPOSED. "Under the miles," Mr. Young continued, "New Zealand— which 'incorporates three branches—is designated a branch" of the Australasian Federation, and therefore, in order to distinguish the individual New Zealand branches from the New Zealand branch of the Federation, the individual branches in New Zealand are designated ' subbranches, AUCKLAND'S OBJECTION. "I|b* objection on the part of Auckland appears to be one of sentiment only. ■ As regards funds: All funds to the credit of the New Zealand subbranches with the exception of £600— which would.be battked to the credit' of the New Zealand sub^xeeutiv-e council— and of £100— which would b© banked to the credit of each sub-branch— the funds to credit in New Zealand will be banked to the credit of the Australasian Council. Thai ig to say that, lor instance, whatever is to th© credit of the Wellington sub-branch would be banked in Wellington to the credit of the Australasian Council. The , same process would be followed at Auckland and Dunedin, so you see out" funds do not go out of New Zealand. The funds are thoroughly, safeguarded, if. the money to, be. drawn from . the i undo, was for Australasian purposes— that is for New Zealand and Australia— the cheque for such withdrawal would have to be signed by the president, vice-president, and secretary of the New Zealand SubExecutive Council. If the money was to' be ÜBed exclusively for some Australian purpose, and not involving New Zealand, then in that case the money in New Zealand to the credit of the Australasian Council could not be drawn upon. If the money was to be. used exclusively for some New Zealand purpose, then in such case the money to the credit of the Australasian . Council in Australia, .similarly, could not be drawn upon. That thoroughly safeguards the funds and should overcome any little objection up north." HEAD OFFICE IN WELLINGTON. Mr. Young also explained that another alteration in the rules of the Federation provided for the transfer of the heiid office in New Zealand from Dunedin to Wellington. "I have ho personal feeling in the matter," said Mr. Young, I "but for reasons that it is unnecessary to advance 1 am convinced that our head office should be transferred to this port, it fe the central port of New Zealand, the seat of Government is here, and the various departmental heads are here. . FLOATING MEMBERSHIP. "Another important factor in connection with the matter is this : Our membership is a floating one. and for that reason we are probably different to any other labour 'organisation. Our members sail on this coast this month, the Australian coast the next, and probably the month after the Pacific coast. Now at the present time we haVe a New Zealand agreement with steamship owners, and in Australia the Federal award operates in the inter-Stajte trade. The agreement and the award are at present the nearest in conformity of working conditions that Australia and New Zealand have ever approached. But there are certain differences in the conditions. ! A CASE IN POINT. . "For instance, the steamers Maunganui, Manuka, and Maheno — operating in the intercolonial trade— have their articles taken out in Sydney, and the crews are working under the Federal award in Australia. The ships of the Huddart Parker Company— the Ulimaroa, Vie toria, and Wimmera, are in identically tho same position. All other intercolonial ships have their articles taken out in New Zealand, and ai'o working under tho New Zealand agreement. As a result. ( >ou have ships operating in the tame trade where there are slight difierence.i in working conditions. j WHAT IS AIMED FOR. "The object in view is to create one uniform set of working conditions through the medium of an agreement that will cover the whole of the interstate traders of Australia, the intercolonial traders, and the South Pacific Island liaders, leaving the New Zealand coftstal traders to be provided for by separate agreement. CASE OF DECK HANDS. "There is one provision in the Australian agreement which provides that deck hands working wateh-and-watch —four hours on ftfld four hours off— shall be paid an extra, sum of £1 10g per month, which brings their wage up to £9 10a per month. I find that to bo a, material source of complaint in New Zealand, for the reason that on the New Zealand coast men who are working watch-and-watch get only £8 per month. It Is only, iri mV judgment, by linking up with Australia and holding out* conferences &t regular intervals and arranging terms and conditions of work that we will be able to over<»rno this differentiation in New .Zealand condi* tfon«.". '