WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND THE STRIKE

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 49, 26 February 1921, Page 6

WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND THE STRIKE

CRUX OS 1 THE WHOLE MATTER-

'{By the New Zealand Welfare League.)

In our opinion, this trouble on the •wharf is both a strike and a lock-out. It started with "irritation strikes" at several ports, and has developed into a lock-out. The men who made the first attack- are responsible for what has resulted.

The crux of the whole matter is this : Messrs. L. Glover, President, and J. Koberte, !, Secretary, on behalf of their federation, signed this agreement— ,

The federation and the respective unions undertake that no restrictions relating to overtime work shall be permitted to.be made during the currency of this agreement.^Clause 44, Waterside Industrial Agreement.

Now it is plain to everybody that this •undertaking was not being out. The question of., whether the restrictions on overtime working were due to indrn- . dual action or eoncerted*is not the point' The point is that it was being permitted t>y tho federation and the unions, and as a result they have forosd a lock-out 01

hundreds of men. We have appealed to the women, who are concerned through their children, to ask for a secret ballot on the question of whether the undertaking shall be observed or not, and we have suggested that the watersiders' wives should have a vote on this question. Wo are quite content to leave it to the public- judgment whether we are right or not in urging that the women affected should have a say on the question. As regards the last letter signed "Edith Oarmichael," there is only one point in it that calls for any comment, and that is tha idea that because the boats are laid up, and have to be Tvorked some time, the men can make Tip the loss when work is resumed. A housewife knows that time is the essence of the contract in keeping a home, and only the careless look to the future to make up present loss. Having gone into the matter, we find that when work is resumed after one of these stoppages the great demand for labour attracts a bigger crowd, with the result that employment is more widely spread and the regular wharf hands never make ■-> what they haVe lost. The rest of yo> c correspondent's letter answers itself.