WORKERS ON WHARVES

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 115, 18 May 1938, Page 10

WORKERS ON WHARVES

(To the Editor.)

Sir,—lt is certainly, nice for Mr. Roberts and Mr. Johnson to write as they do about the members of the Waterside Workers' Union in reply to criticisms of the amount of work done on the waterside. Have either of these gentlemen ever walked around the wharves to see the large number of men working who are from 60 to, I should say, over 70 years of age? It is physically difficult for some of these men to earn the money they are paid. Why is it that employers of labour on the wharves admit that they prefer "seagulls" to union men as they can rely on a good day's work from the non-union men? There are a large number of good-working, healthy men working as "seagulls" who would like to join the union, but are refused admission, whilst, as I have already stated, a large number of old men are employed and paid a day's wages for what cannot be called the heavy work.-—I am, etc., OBSERVER.

The above letter was shown to Mr. J. O. Johnson, secretary of .the Watersiders' Union. In reply to the correspondent Mr. Johnson said that there was not a large number of men of the ages stated working on the wharves. It was true that the employers realised that men who had served most of their lives in some branch of the industry were entitled to some of the easy work in the evening of their days. Many of these older men were seamen, who had left the sea. There was, he repeated, not a large percentage of men of the ages mentioned. There .were certain jobs such as unhooking slings or hooking slings up on the wharf which' were suited to such men, as they had the experience. The fact that old men were seen on the wharf was explained in that the heavy "bullocking" work was done in the holds fwhere the younger men were mostly employed. The older men did not go below, 'and\ were therefore seen. A little margin in age might be allowed for experience in the case of men who were capable and had a, knowledge of the Industry, but otherwise preference was given to the younger men. In regard to "seagulls" Mr. Johnson said that the union had an agreement with the employers who told them the number of men tHey wanted, and the union supplied that number. When the employers said that they were prepared to put more men on the register, the union would consider taking more men on. The last time men were taken into the union a number of "seagulls" were admitted. PENSION ANOMALIES Attention is drawn by "Interested" to a number of anomalies in the pension system. Particular point is made by the correspondent of the rights enjoyed by superannuated civil servants as compared with applicants for the old age pension. Retired civil servants, he states,- do not have to undergo a means test in order to secure their pension. A civil servant, who might contribute only £450 to the superannuation funds, is retired, say; at 55 on a pension of £300 a year for the rest of his life—a good investment from his point of view. The correspondent states that with old age pensioners, who might have Had no opportunity, of contributing to a pension scheme, thrift is penalised, whereas no such penalty is imposed in the case of civil servants. CITY TRAMWAYS "Visitor to Wellington" complains that sufficient time is nof allowed pas-, sengers on framcars to board and alight and also that confusion in Lambton Quay does not permit the maintenance of a ten-minute service to Miramar.