UNION OFFICERS BLUFF

Evening Post, Volume C, Issue 47, 24 August 1920, Page 8

UNION OFFICERS BLUFF

PUBLIC MUST STAND SOLID

(Contributed by the Welfare League.)

To-day the public is being struck in , the face by the stoppage of work on the Wellington wharves, resutling in the curtailment of public services in the way of tramway, transport, electric light, power, and gas supply. The'hardship, annoyance, and, in some cases, real suffering, which members of the public are being for.cedto bear should bring in the third party as an active agent in this dispute. Not merely the shipowners and the Waterside Workers' Union are concerned. .The time has come foi tho putflic to take a. hand in what vitally concerns them. For many months the Welfare League has been charging both the shipping companies and the union with .gross selfishness in ignoring the rights of the public to know fully what was going on at the wharves. We protested against the industrial terms being fixed up in secret, as we held, and still hold, that the public. ife a party, and its rights should be ■ considered. Now we know that the public is an interested party. Is it going to remain merely the party that pays and suffers but has no voice in the settlement? We trust it will not ■ %be so. The present strike on the wharf, brought about by men who practically say, "To h with an agreement; we are out to get all we can, and the dispute does not concern the public," has got to be firmly dealt with. THE RESULT OF CONSTANT PINPRICKING. For many months a syndicalist gang of unscrupulous exploiters have dominated the Wharf Union, and by their tactics of perpetual irritating stoppages of work, on all manners of pretexts, they" have tyrannised over everybody connected with the industry, "it has been pointed out repeatedly that the loitering at work, pin-pricking stoppages of^operation,! and the minor I.W.W. practices in vogue were greatly increasing the costs of handling cargo; that this enhanced' cost was passed on to the public, and tho .1 whole effect, wag to. further add to th.s

people's burden of living. These syndicalists care nothing about that; they'aJ'o out to grab all they can for themselves, and the rest of the public can go hang, as far as. they are concerned. The ever-' lasting irritating conflicts on the waterfront has made the employers' position almost unbearable. This state of affairs is well known. Men on the wharves have told us, over and over again, that "a burst was bound to come." The trouble over the working of the Meikai Maru's cargo of superphosphates is. but the natural revolt of the employers against the intolerable high-handed tyranny and meanness, that has. been in. practice for a long time. They say "even a worm will turn," and we are not surprised that the employers have at last turned against the gang, who have been worrying, them to death. THE CHAMPION BLUFFERS. To rightly understand the present trouble it is necessary to know the men. we are dealing, with. As far as the general run of the wharf men are concerned, they are decent men who want to be left alone, they are "fed up" with the constant petty disputes, and would be glad to see the trouble makers "go elsewhere." There exists, however, to-day a band of men who are on the wharf, with the express object of taking the industry from the employers and running it as they choose. Men of such views are to be found dominating the union. Of course, they never say plainly that their object is to confiscate and rob the present owners;; such plain speech would defeat their ends, and they are too cunning to use it. The great weapon of the trouble-makers is blufi, and by training they become very expert in that direction. Stripped of all humbug, the facts of the present situation are that thawatersiders' agreement fixes the rates for handling superphosphates •at 2s 5d pep hour ordinary time and 3s 6d overtime. The men are asked to work at these rates and refuse to do so. On that the employers say it is .'simply tearing up the agreement, and they will refuse to employ labour until it is settled. Here comes in Mr. J. 6. Bruce, secretary of the union, with a most specious bluff. He;says: "The dispute over !a Japanese vessel does not concern the public in the slightest." Does it nof, Mr. Bruce? Well, it concerns the public very much that your union and members should act 3.3 honest men and abide by "the agreement you made with the employers. To j play the bluff of demanding . payment under the agreoment where it suits you and refusing, to recognise the agreement where it doesn't is, in "plain terms, Mr. Bruce, a crooked game, which the public will not stand for. Mr. Bruce has told the Mayor and Mr. Morton that the union is willing to unload coal, and "if the employers will not employ the men to-morrow then.the union,will endeavour to do so." . What a pose of :njured virtue! Behold the public, spirit of. these champion bluffers, who are quite prepared to take over the ;ndustry (without payment) ?.nd employ the lab; our if the employers will only "get out." Why did not Mr. Brace tell the Mayor and Mr. Morton that his union would honourably abide by the agreement that it made, which would be to ■the point? We would like to ask Mr. , Bruce' just what he means : "If necessary, the union will employ the necessary labour." Is his object to. get control and ownership by his union of the industry? . If not, what is it? The public does not want any more bluffing. THE STAND TO TAKE. In the present circumstances we hold that there is only one stand that the public car take, and that is to demand of the waterside workers that they will ■go to work on the ■ terms of the agreement which their represenljative signed. If they will not do this, and the public is to be made to suffer further, the question, must arise ■whether the time has not come when the General Government, in the interests of the people and country, should take charge- in place of both the employers and the union^so that the services may be carried on. Tfie-majority of wharf men, \>;e believe, want to do the straight thing, but the-, bluffers and plotters will not let them. The public will have to put these schemers out of action before we can have real peace. The thing to keep clearly in mind is that the principle involved in this strike, is whether the union and men will keep their agreement or not. The working of this or that boatas but a minor matter: the chief issue is " will the men honestly keep the agreement which their union made?"