HARBOUR BOARD CUTS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 51, 29 August 1934, Page 8

HARBOUR BOARD CUTS

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—l.wish to take exception to sume of tho statements made by Mr; Price in discussing the - AVellington Harbour Board's wages cuts. Ho said the. Wellington Harbour Board and ; , the shipping companies should.be. taken together. That is not so, as the deputation that waited on the Harbour Board only asked for the restoration of tho cuts to apply to the casual workers on the board's register—about two hundred men. Mr. Price admits that the hours worked for 1932-1933 were only 20 per week, and the average wage was only £2 15s lid por week, and I may say that, included in these hours ancl wages are meal hours, Saturday afternoons, and night work till 10 o'clock, and sometimes till' midnight, also certain holiday work. All these hours mentioned carry an extra rate, but still there are only 26 hours per week and only an average of £2 15s lid for this period. It is incorrect to say that the low averages wore largely due, not Lo tho employers, but to the men themselves, who could vastly improve their earnings if they were willing to work 'when work offered. The men working for tho board do work on Saturday afternoons and have done so right through tho period of tho agreement, and- also on some holidays. Mr. Price says to encourage men ,to fill in more hours per week at profitable work was surely better than idleness. I agrco with Mr. Price in this matter, but I still say that the question of working on holidays and on Saturday afternoons will not put any of tho men in work for any more hours per week, as the work done on Saturday afternoons, holidays, or at night time cannot be done, the next day, and the men would be idle again. The Wellington Harbour Board register has been reduced from time to time from about 360 men down to roughly 200, and I think this number is iust about as low as tho Harbour Board can do with, as on many days the Harbour Board has to employ, many men outside tho register to carry on tho work of the port. Of course the board could reduce clown to a much smaller number of men and build tneso men's hours and wages up, but it would still under the present conditions have to employ many men at a low wageMr Prico did not mention' that the men on the Harbour Board's register had to place themselves at the board s disposal from 7.45 a.m. till 12 p.m., Monday to Friday, ana from 7.40 a.m. till 6 p.m. on Saturdays all tho year round to earn an average wage of £2 15s lid. He did not mention that very often a man may havo to-lose hours waiting for engagement. It may be said that the men can go home from lU.oU am. till tho time for which they are nominated, but this is almost impossible as a lot of the men livo a good tram or train journey from the wharves, and one workers' ticket is all they can afford per week. —I am, etc.,

ONE ON THE EEGISTEE