WORK ON WHARVES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 3, 3 July 1943, Page 6

WORK ON WHARVES

REPLY TO UNION

CARGO HANDLING RATE'

The general secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Employers' Association, in a further statement today, said that while it had not been the intention to. > enter into a Press ; controversy on waterside work;, but merely to inform the public 'of the shipowners' views in reply to statements made 'in -the "House: of, Representatives that there" had been a substantial -improvement in- the work.of the waterside workers, the letter from the vice-president of the •Wellington branch p£ the union called -for some reply/ ■"■ '.' ''.. :\ '■'■'' '' - ' ,'. ','

■ "So: far. as, the claim < that *the "work of 'the; men has improved;is" concerned, a recorded,' rate • of' handling' general cargo ; in .Auckland, Wellington, and Lyttelton was- less -per gang per,hour in 1942 than in 1937, 1938, or 1939;. notwithstanding that thousands of pounds had been paid by the shipowners in 1942 as * bonuses to' the men for an alleged increase '.1 in * output/ says the statement. "As previously.; stated' the employers' records ' eliminate ■ only major stoppages through rain, etc., whereas for' the" purpose :■ of -recording winch time; the ' Commission employs on each ship -a timekeeper who is a member: of1 the Waterside Workers' Union, and as < -the* bonus - which" the men are paid, and iiv which; this' ..timekeeper participates, is goyerried\by the amount of delays recorded. < it* can be readily understood that no*opportunity is lost by the* timekeeper' to make 'the most of his job. That delays are ocjcasionedJthrough no-fault of 'the^wdtersider ,is not denied, nor that -some -of these are attributable "to .servants of the shipowner other than 'waterside workers, but with the complexities : surrounding the receipt, stowage, carriage, and delivery of cargo, particularly under wartime conditions/it is impracticable to foresee and for; all contingencies. , ./'..;'.': . "The" complaint; of -the employers 'as to' men ceasing work; before' the >■ correct .kiiocking-off times took into; consideration ,the times.allowed, for ; walkihg from : the various" wharves/;and it is the cessation of work before .these agr,eed times that,is. complained of. . SLING LOAD RESTRIC3TIQN. "So far as ~the\restriction'of- sling loads is concerned, to test the position we -request the vice-president of the union to arrange for the'men. at Wellington to agree on •■the.-'hext •pVoduce or . cement - discharging .vessel .which- is> landing" the .slings/oh >the wharf for breaking ~up( oh-the .individual trucks, to make up these -sling^s to. approximately-18cwt'as ":he "state§;is often done. We shall be" pleased,: to ,Lnfprm ■ the Press-. of ?■ the.vresults^:obtained. r' ■'■••■'.'-. ■'■'■ ';*■•'.... '■■'■"•' ;.-•■-' ..: "With, regard-to• the ;men ceasing work on account of the. slightest'rain, is it too, much to ask .-that' thejniett should equip themselves to /work on urgently required cargoes irrespective of a little rain-when such.c^rgo".will not be damaged s by moisture.,- The union and the Commission" are - aware that the right xonc'eded -to the men many years ago to elect to cease work on account ,of, i-aih withbut .stoppage of pay is being grossly abused.' r "The spelling practices which have become established' at, Auckland,' Wellington, and Lyttelton have been condemned by the Commission and ; the union leaders,, but the men persist in them irrespective of the urgency of the job they are on.- This. spelling is more pronounced today than;: it was in pre-war'days. , It is agreed that the union has,accepted the extension of hours providingfor all night and .weekend work and that this is a material factor in the quicker dispatch of vessels. Waterfront \yorkers on'night shifts or Sunday shifts a*re in the fortunate position of receiving double .time' rates• of:- pay or more whereas.. shift workers Jn Other industries. receive an payment for- the full"shift' equal -to* what the watersider gets extra,for one hour, namely, about 3.s extra for the factory shiftworker and not less than 22s 8d extra foi* the waterside worker.

: "The men are being well paid-and it is up to them to respond to tlie need of the, Allied nations, as well'as of New Zealand, for a 'fair go' on; the waterfront." ■•'-".'' • ' -