THE UNION SPEAKS

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 106, 31 October 1913, Page 8

THE UNION SPEAKS

OFFICf AL STATEMENT TO PRESS CONDITIONS OF RESUMPTION OF WORK On enquiry at the Waterside Workers' Union office to-day for further information with regard to developments, the committee intimated that it desired to make the following statement : — "The union has agreed to resume work under the old agreement; to maintain the status quo of wages and conditions. The employers demand the abolition of the union, the abrogation of the agreement, and the denial of the waterside workws as a whole to organise into one union. "As certain misapprehensions are existing in the minds of the public as to the cause of the present trouble, the committee wishes to have the position clearly put before the people. " Under the agreement which was granted as a result of conferences, and which was dated Ist February, 1912, contained the following clause : — ' Work in the stream, at dry docks, and slip, men engaged to work within limits of .any harbours covered by this agreement, to be paid from time of engagement up to time of arrival at the wharf and return at the rate fixed for the class of labour on which they are engaged. It was also specified that this should not apply to Lyttelton dry dock and the sup. This payment of travelling time was made up till the time the new Evans Bay works of the U.S.S. Company were established at the rate of Is extra per day on 6ach day's wages. Immediately these works were established this payment was stopped without "the consent of the union, notwithstanding the numerous representations made to the Union Company on the subject. The matter waß ■ then laid before several meetings of the union, when it was decided to make a collective request of the whole of the workers who were employed in this particular department "The union secretary was instructed to interview the Shipwrights' Society, and as a result that body decided to join the Waterside Workers' Union, and to forward fresh claims, embodying those requests, to the Union Steamship Company. "The Shipwrights' Society had beenin receipt of travelling time or provision of a conveyance in lieu thereof, ever ssince the slip was built. The company in thia instance docked their traveling time, without even reporting its intention to do so to the Shipwrights' Society. The claims of this society were then forwarded to the various employers concerned, and an advance of Id per hoor was offered, with conditions of work greatly inferior to what had already been in existence. In fact, a proposal was made demanding that the men (the shipwrights) should work on the shift system — a condition of employment that could not on any account be allowed to be introduced in any agreement of waterside workers. i "The employers claimed that the waterside workers Had no right to advance the claims of tho shipwright*. I This the Waterside Workers' Union J knew to be absolutely inconsistent, and a new line of policy on the part of the company, seeing it had already to meet the 1 union in respect to its harbour j steamers employees. In fact) certain stepa had been previously taken to enter mto an agreement with, the union with respect to the harbour steamers employees, atthougE this was (for other reasons) not acepted by the union. Thus a precedent bad been established. "It is astonishing to the committee that on 13th June, 1912, the Union Company admitted by letter that it was quite clear that By clause 5 of the agreement tho men employed at Evans Bay were entitled to payment travelling time. This, the company said, had been lost sight of owing to 'our having allowed the men to nse the vehicles in use by us' in connection witk the works at Evans Bay, and this privilege being regarded as a, sot-off against travelling tame. I (the Union Company) agree wrfch you, however, that the men are entitled to payment, and febe question to be decided is the thn© involved.' " "The Patent Slip Company, as an embodiment of the Union Steam Ship Company's yards and old patent slip, was formed, and, notwithstanding that both places of work a?-o not over 100 yds from each other and both belong to the one company, payment for travelling time was allowed in the agreement for the patent slip alone and it was docked for those who worked in the yard. In ether words, we get payment for the slip, but for the yard, which is an integral part of -the undertaking, we are .not paid. "To show how considerate the union was, it allowed payment for the patent slip when making the new agreement to be on the lowest seale — namely, threequarters of an hour ordinary time — whereas the agreement stipulated' that the travelling time should bo allowed at the rates for the class of work the labour was engaged in. In other words, the union, was agreeable for the men to.

ance with the strictly literal interpretation of the agreement. This explains why the Shipwrights' Society joined the Waterside Workers' Union. THE STOP WORK MEETING. "The shipwrights were successful in coming to an agreement with the shipowners and the matter was next brought before a general meeting of the union, at which 200 men were present. This meeting being adverse to taking any drastic action without first consulting the members as a whole, and knowing that a ballot would take some time to obtain as a large number of members were away, decided to settle the question prior to going to work on the following morning, There were then but a few ships in .the harbour at the time, and these men were asked to stop work also to attend the meeting. The meeting occupied 1 hour and 20 minutes. No drastic action was taken at the meeting. On the contrary, the matter of the shipwrights' dispute was handed over to the Federation of Labour for further negotiations with the employers. "The men who left work to attend the meeting found their places filled by others. Representations were then made to the employers that this course of action would immediately cause trouble, and a request was made that the work should go on until the matter was brought before the local committee for settlement. "Instead of taking this course the employers threw down the gauntlet and tore up the agreement. "A DRASTIC ATTEMPT." "Several attempts were made to bring the employers to a sense of their responsibility but without avail, until their action made it plain to the waterside workers in general, both permanent and casual, that a drastic attempt was being made to wipe this organisation, namely the Waterside Workers' Union out of existence. , • "All sections of labour along the waterside, including the Harbour Board men, tally clerks, men engaged in wharf construction, and others rallied round the umofiln support and gave their absolute assurance that they would not work with free labour, and, if ultimately requested to do bo, they would step out. "The union did not desire to extend this trouble beyond the limits of those practically concerned, namely, those of its own organisation. " It requested all workers not to work ■with free labourers, but rather to sacrifice their positions. This assurance was. given. PUBLIC SYMPATHY. ■" Assistance has been readily rendered by the larger section of the general public, which has shown sympathy with the' desire of the watersiders to maintain their union. "They will not be beaten into subjection by batens and the revelvers of special constables, who are really not the legitimate police, with whom they have no quarrel. " The committee gives its assurance that if the agreement is reinstated and given a clean slate work at the port will proceed apace as if no interruption had taken place. It is a significant fact in view of the drastic action which the employers have taken up in considering that a breach of the agreement meant the abrogation of an. agreement, for, if that were so, the majority of the awards in New Zealand would long ago have been abolished. The number of cases in which employer* have been charged with breach of agreement (vide Labour Department's report) were 436, whereas the employees' breaches were 136. These figures speak for t.hemselves. If then the breach of an agreement meant tho abrogation of it there would not be a single award in, existence to-day. "The committee sanctions no rioting and no disorder. "The men are determined to win with the assistance of all the workers in, New Zealand if neceeeaTy. The trouble last night was most regrettable, as it plainly shows to the committeo the Government, if tb© actions of the police were in accordance with instructions from the Police authorities, will use every means to subject tho workers to the humiliating conditions desired by the employers."