"JOB CONTROL?"

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 65, 19 March 1925, Page 6

"JOB CONTROL?"

ECKFORD AND SEAMEN'S

UNION

AIDING OR ABETTING

ALLEGED

The case in which T. Eckford and Co., Ltd., of Blenheim, is claiming £1000 from the Seamen's Union as a penalty for an alleged breach of clause 48 of the New Zealand seamen and firemen's award, was continued before Mr. C. E. Orr Walker, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court to-day.

The plaintiff company, which was represented by Mr. J. F. B. Stevenson, alleged that the Wellington local Federated Seamen's Union encouraged, aided, or abetted " job control " on board and in respect of the motor vessel Opawa, owned by the plaintiff company.

The defendant union was represented by Mr. W. T. Young. In reply to Mr. Young, W. E. Fuller, local manager for Eckford and Co., said that the union encouraged job control by taking union men out of the ship. Witness's knowledge of job control had not been obtained personally, but from reports from the captain. Witness agreed with Mr. ■ Young that from tabulated facts quoted the Opawa had done better business in February than in January.

Mr. Yo.ung: "And no inconvenience has been caused to T. Eckford and Co.?" Witness: '.' Yes. Considerable inconvenience."

His Worship: " Of what nature?" Witness: " By the action of the union Mr. Eekford has been taken away from his ordinary work and has had to work as an A.8., and the watersiders have refused to work the boat, and the crew has had to work her." NEVER IN WANT OF A CREW. Walter Nicholas, shore superintendent for Eekford and Co.; said he was master and mate on the. Opawa for about 20 years up to three years ago. Except when industrial troubles were on, witness said he had never known the ship to be m want of a union crew. When a man gave notice his position used to be applied for almost immediately. During his experience in the vessel, except in the case of industrial troubles, witness had never been without a man for longer than 48 hours. The Opawa used to hold her cre\y as well as any other vessel. MEN WANTED. Arthur Gibson, in charge of the Government Shipping Office, said about sth February a. notice was put up in his office for seamen for the Opawa. The notice remained about a month, during which time men were available for any vacancies. When the Wainui was resigning articles, about 30 or 40 men were in his office looking for jobs. No labour was engaged for the Opawa while the notice" was displayed. Usually when a notice for the Opawa was put up the j vessel-engaged. labour very quickly. The Opawa was a "home job"- ship. Witness recalled an incident when a man from a Home ship made arrangements |to sign on the Opawa. When leaving jthe Shipping Office the man said he was going to the union office. He ultimately did not sign on the ship. To Mr. Young: The Opawa was not | much of an avenue for employment at Wellington. She was about the smallest ship trading in and out of the port. ! oome men refused. to sail in a small i vessel if they could get a larger one. Uthers preferred a small ship. The Stormbh-d, of 148 tons net, on which witness had been a master, was recognised I as one of the "mosquito" fleet. She I was nearly three times the size of the Opawa. On account or the much bet- j ter run, men would prefer the Wainui to the Opawa. Witness said he signed all the providoring staff off the Koromiko last night. He had Jearnt that the men had refused to sail with the l chief steward. ,

Mr. Stevenson: "That is job control by those people, anyhow." Witness said he had had cases where men- ; said they would join a ship, and they had never turned up. His Worship: "They might change their mind, or get drunk and come up from below."

Mr. Young: "Not' drunk, your Worship. I would just like to say this: that, taken as a class, seamen are an exceedingly sober crowd." Recalled on the question of two men who were sent to him by Captain Gibson in connection with a position on the Opawa. Mr. Fuller said the men | asked to be allowed to join the Opawa. [ Witness told them to join the Seamen's, Union.first. The men went away stating they were going to the union, but they did not come back. ! To Mr." Young rHe did not know whether the men actually went to the union. He did not know what became of them. • '. I DECLARED "BLACK." Victor Jahansen, stevedore for Levin and Co.,,said on 10th February he was j j endeavouring to engage labour for the ; Opawa. He engaged six unionist water- ] I siders. They accepted employment. A j | few minutes after 8 o'clock witness found i that work had not commenced, and on j making inquiries had been informed that the ship had been declared "black," and could, not be After an interview _ with the Harbour Board, the boardfs-employees worked the ship. Next | day five men were engaged, but after ; going as far as the ship, walked aivay. During February the ship was in ; and i out of port on numerous occasions. The | watersiders- refused to work her.

To Mr. Stevenson, witness said the Opawa was the only ship which had been held up and unable to get labour for a month. The Home boat trouble was only temporary, and the men went back to I work, while the trouble on the Opawa continued." TOLD TO GET OUT. James Patchett, an able seaman, who was one of those who manned the coastal vessels in the trouble of 1922, said about 12.30 p.m. on 3rd February last Mr. Young stopped Burton, a union member, on the wharf. Later Burton told witness that the ship had been declared "black" by' the union that morning. _ Patchett and Morrison, the non- ! unionists on the Opawa received a let- | ter each from the captain containing j an application to join the union. At the union office they saw Mr. Howell, who told Mr. Young that they were the two men from the Opawa. Mr. Young told Patchett to put his 5s back in his pocket, as he might want it. Witness took this as a refusal of the application to join the union. When at sea later, Burton told witness that he (Burton) had- been told by Mr. Young to "get out." (Proceeding.)