WORK AND WAGES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 99, 23 October 1924, Page 9

WORK AND WAGES

WATERSIDE CONDITIONS

DISCUSSED BEFORE ARBITRA-

TION COURT

CASE PRESENTED IN ABLE

MANNER,

(BI TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

DUNEDIN, 2^nd October

"■ Hearing of the waterside workers' dispute was continued by ;the Arbitration Court to-day. Tho union was represented by Mr. J-. Roberts and the employers by Mr. W. G. Smith. ,

Robert Ernest Wood, manager of the j Port Chalmers repair works, said that' fifteen or sixteen waterside workers were j employed'there regularly. _ Others were! employed also. When not employed the men worked for other firms. With regard to the classification of work in the award, it had been agreed to between the parties. The classification had been varied onto or twice within the last few years, always in favour of the workers. He . thought the classification was a fair one. '< The work was not what might be called hard work, but it was in some cases dirty work. Claims for increases in wages had been without difficul- .■ ty. But there had beon instances where : lie had not been able to settle with the,' secretary.- ■ i j Mr. Smith, after having reviewed and summarised the question of ,wages from j various viewpoints, went on to comment |on the earnings of wharf labourers generally. It was interesting to note, he | -feaid, that in Wellington alone over 300 men had to make returns to the.lncome Tax Commissioner. Another interesting sidelight on the earnings of waterside workers was provided by the report of an action brought against the Greymouth Waterside Workers' Union. The increases asked for repair work varied from Ud to 1b lid per hour, and no. evidence had been called which could by any stretch of the imagination be said to justify such ' claims or'any claim for jucrease at all. In casting about "'for some new argument in connection with repair rates the federation had hit upon the idea, of putting it forward that Tepair'. workers during- the war period received l^d per hour less increase than was given to waterside (workers generally. The'total increase given to repair workers sinco the outbreak of war amounted to 9Ad per hour on ordinary time, Is l^d per hour on overtime to 10 p.m., and Is G£d per hour on overtime from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. From these rates the only deductions made had been the cost of living . reductions as fixed by the Court. The repair'works'at.'Port Chalmers were now fairly busy, and men were getting a reasonable run of work. The argument that when work was slack the rates of .pay should be increased was a, peculiar one, as it meant that the cure for slackness in trade was to make it still more difficult by increasing costs. As regards riggers, these men were generally sailors, npt men who had served an apprenticeship, at rigging, and in receiving 2s Id per hour they were on a high level as compared with- skilled tradesmen, such as engineers, who in New Zealand ' received 2s 2d per hour. As a matter of fact, only about a dozen to fifteen waterside workers were constantly engaged in the repair works at Port'Chalmers, and of .the remainder, some were employed occasionally in the works, but principally on the wharves at what was properly the work of waterside workers. The claims of the federation completely altered the present classification in regard to repair work, for what reason lie was unable to say. The employers asked that the present classifications relating to Port Chalmers and other ports be retained. RATES FOB FUMIGATING. As regarded the claim of the federation of 3s per hour for fumigating ships' holds or accommodation, he would say that since the Court's award dame into operation under which the work came within the classification for' which Is 10£ d per hour was fixed, waterside workers hud refused to do such work, and it had since been done by painters, whose rales wm-n 2 B 3<! pev. hour- Utulvr Uicait SiICIAWfiUiIJCCSi a s watjargult \v«r.ke.r.B w.er«

refusing to do the work', no rate shouldbe included ,in the waterside workers' award, or if it were it should not extend the rate fixed for this work, viz., 2s 2d per hour. The strongest objection was taken to the proposal that- extra rates allowed for special cargoes should, in cases in which overtime was worked, either have 50 per cent, added to them or be doubled, according to the hour at. which the work was performed. ,

As regarded the', claim that tanning bark, plaster in bags, and cement and plaster in casks should be included in clause 5 at 2d per hour extra over the basic wage', these were not included in the federation's claims in 1922, and he submitted that it had utterly failed to show, that there was any difference now .as compared, with the date when the award was niade so far as these cargoes were concerned. These remarks applied equally to the proposal that the limit of quantity before extra rate was payable should be 25 tons in one ship instead of one hold, as at present.' There was no justification for the claim, and it was a mere device to indirectly increase rates of pay. As regarded the claim for inclusion of ballast shingle and pebbles in the list of special cargoes, these claims were made by the federation in 1922, when they were dealt with at length and refused by the Courti He submitted that the federation had not shown that there was any difference now in the conditions connected with these cargoes compared with those existing at the time the award was'made. As regarded coal transporters, there might be something to be said, and the employers were willing to agree that men employed trimming coal on coal transports should be paid the rate fixed for trimming coal in bunkers, i M per hour above the basic rate. Basic slag and guano in bags were at present paid for at 2d per hour extra, but the federation sought an increase of the payment to 3d. .per hour. The employers contended that the present rate was ample, and if any cargoes' arrived in exceptionally jbad order an extra rate was always 'alloyed by the local Disputes Committee. As regarded lime in bags -which had I been dumped, there was no necessity to provide for this, as no such cases occurred, and it would.be time enough to deal with it when a case arose. The demand for the inclusion of kero-' sene, naphtha, benzine, motor spirits, lime,' cement, and plaster was designed to increase the average rate of pay, with tho result that the cost of transport services to the public would have to be increased, j GENERAL DETAILS. / He submitted that no evidence had been given \ which would. justify the Court in granting tho union's claim. Evidence had been given that men were unable to -iyovk full time on general cargo, but this was only so in winter. He did not know any <o ther workers who obtained more than the ordinary rate of pay when detained or travelling on Sunday or'holiday, and there was no reason why waterside workers should-be given special treatment in this respect. The employers strongly opposed the1 granting of half-hour fractions. The employers pressed for a provision that winchmen should if required, tally coal. They were willing to delete the provision in regard to the taking of truck numbers, but tallying coal had been done by winchmen for, many years past, and the employers' urged the Court to renew that provision. The employers pressed for continuance of the present provision as to intoxicating liquors. The question of limitation of membership of unions was a matter of policy, not only of the Court's general policy in regard to preference, but also of public policy, and he would leave it to the Court to deal with it- without expressing any definite ■ opinion one way or the other. The employers recognised that waterside unions were made a dumping ground for the unemployed of all I other industries, and could therefore appreciate the point of view of the unions. At the same time ample labour must be available for working the wharves, and they therefore could not possibly agree with the union's proposal in the matter. His Honour said that the Court would get out the award as early as possible, and expressed appreciation at the way the case had been presented.: