"VICTIMISATION?"

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 103, 2 May 1914, Page 6

"VICTIMISATION?"

A CARPENTER'S COMPLAINT ."BECAUSE 'HE WORKED ON . ' WHARVES." A few weeks ago The Post drew attention to a case in which a furniture trade worker was "victimised" for the reason that he had worked on the wharves during the strike, and another such instabce has just been brought under notice. A man who joined the Wharf Labourers' Union on 26th No-vember last (while the strike was on), and who was constantly at work after that date, met with a. serious accident — a, basket of coal falling on him — on or about 12th March. Since that date be has been incapacitated from hard manual labour, and having previously been a member of the Carpenters' Union, ho applied for work on one of the building contracts in the- city. He vras given employment, but had hardly been at work for threequarters of 'an hour when, according to the informant, the remainder of the men — about twenty in number — "downed tools," and said they would not resume work until tho man who had just been engaged was put off the job. As the foreman ccvuld not afford to have such an important contract hung up, he had no alternative but to tell the man that he would have to leave— a request which was complied with. The men then went back to their work. , In ventilating his complaint to a Post reporter, the man who says he has been victimised stated that he was a carpenter' by trade, but went to work as a wharf labourer on the date previously mentioned. He was making ■ good money, but about the middle of March, while he was engaged as a "coalie," a basketful of coal fell on his back, which was badly injured, and he had been unable to work since on the wharves. He alleged that he had been subjected to bad treatment by some of the other "coalies," who had repeatedly called him a "scab" and threatened him with' violence. 'As the result of this conduct two of the offenders had been brought before tho . Magistrate, and a case was pending against' another. On three occasions he had personally taken the law into his own hands and punished hi 3 tormentors. ■ • . ', , The informant produced .a medical certificate, signed by Dr. Whyte, to the effect. that he was not yet in a fit condition (as the result of his accident) to start work again. As he was only drawing 33s a week as sick pay, he determined to endeavour to obtain work at his own' trade as a carpenter (which ho said ,was considerably lighter than carrying coal) until he was in a proper state to resume on the wharves. Yes* terday he applied to the secretary of the Carpenters' Union, ' and ' was told that as he was not a financial member his name had been" struck off the membership 'roll. He explained that he would pay up on Saturday week, and the secretary told him, to go round to a certain building contract, where he would get work. Tlie secretary n'emarked, "I don't know how you'll get on with them round there." He was engaged by the foreman, and put to the work of making frames for cement. Some half-dozen of the other workmen were carpenters, and the rest of them •we're bricklayers and builders'" labourers. Shortly after he commenced he saw some of the men holding a talk, and a little' while afterwards they all left off work. Tho foreman came up to the informant, and said : "I'm afraid you'll have to leave off for a while. ' .These men object to you. I can't afford to lose all these men and keep you on." He then left off work. , The complainant added that "he was certain that it was because he had worked on the waterfront during the strike that the men had ceased work. When ho started this morning one of them (whom he recognised as a strike sympathiser) said to him : ',' Have you left the wharf? Aren't the ships any good?" He replied: "I've left for a while. Anyhow, that's got nothing to do with you." He was quite satisfied that he had been singled out and had even been insulted by some of the strike supporters while he was riding on tramcars. The foreman of /the building contract was also seen by the reporter. His story was to the same effect as the one told by the informant himself, although he made it, quite clear that he could give no explanation why the men had refused to go on with their work. He stated he did not even know the name of the carpenter whom he .had engaged. He had applied to the secretary of the Carpenters' Union and a man was sent round to him on the job. Yesterday morning, shortly after half past 8, the men left off work and one of them told him they would not work with the man who had just started. The only thing left for him to do was to sacrifice the services of one man to retain those of the other twenty.