BONUS PAYMENTS

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 60, 8 September 1945, Page 8

BONUS PAYMENTS

WATERSIDE WORK

STATEMENT BY'UNION

Points in regard to. bonus payments to waterside workers raised in a Parliamentary debate by two Opposition members are the subject of comment in a statement made on behalf of the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union. "Having had occasion to listen to the Parliamentary broadcast on Wednesday afternoon, the matter under debate being whether non-member waterside workers should have the right to share equally with members of the Waterside Workers' Union in ■ the distribution of bonus payments from profits earned under the contract system of handling cargoes, I was astounded to hear, under the privilege of Parliament, a vicious attack on my organisation by two members of the Opposition, Messrs. Bodkin and Goosman. •'This statement is not intended as a protest against faix and reasonable criticism, nor an argument as to the merits or demerits of the case for the non-members, but is a plain statement of fact, and an exposure of the methods used by some members of Parliament to create divisions among members of the working class movement, a method with which we are all too familiar, and intend to expose on every occasion. "ACQUISITIVENESS." "The Parliamentarians referred to claimed that the members of the Waterside Workers' Union who once proclaimed to be foremost in the application of their Socialist ideals, had succumbed to their acquisitiveness and were now exploiting their own Class in the worst manner. This line of attack was carried on in varying degrees, the main theme being the implication that the watersiders having now become contractors were exploiting their fellow-workers by withholding the non-members' share of the profits, to be divided for payment and added to the members' allocation. "Such statements, to use Parliamentary language, are untrue, the truth being that the watersiders are working under an 'order' covering general conditions, subject to 'decisions' and subsequent 'orders,' and in addition a system of bonus, payment by results, based on payments and conditions provided for, in the orders, controlled solely by the Waterfront Control Commission, which collects the moneys payable, and assesses the payments of bonuses to the watersiders, who have no control or representation on the Commission and have never had the ! non-members' share of,the bonus paid to them as bonus payments. "Surely, then, men occupying important public positions; proclaiming to fairly represent all sections of the community, would take the precaution to ascertain the veracity of such statements before publicly attacking any body of men, if they were free from the political bias we complain of, and especially when that particular body of workers was not represented at the hearing by the Petitions Committee. "Let me at this stage prick the balloon of the closed union line of attack. It has long been a fact, accepted by the employers and employees, that to have waterfronts thrown open as a stamping ground of all industry is uneconomical and not in the best interests of either party, for obvious reasons. Hence, previous awards and the present order include provision for the National Disputes Committee, a body comprising representatives of both employers and employees, to determine the normal labour requirements of the ports; for even if the industry were thrown open, a shortage of labour would still exist on occasions. "To present our case on the matters raised during the debate would take as much space as was required to report on the debate. I will content myself with stating one or two important facts. ■ MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS. "The genuine non-member, one who follows waterfront work for a living, has a case, although he has a freedom of choice on busy periods not enjoyed by the members of the union, who must go where sent or be severely penalised, and it is of his own volition that he prefers such an occupation to a steady job. An 'A' class union watersider is guaranteed £3 6s per week if he has an attendance record of from Monday to Saturday. A 'B' class worker has no guarantee. "It is not uncommon even over the last two years at Wellington for an 'A' grade worker to be in attendance for from three to four days for which time he receives no payment whatsoever, quite a different position from the non-member, who in so many cases is in receipt at.all times of from £7 to as much as £12 per week. "Over the last 20 years to my knowledge, tens of thousands .of pounds have been paid to thousands of workers who have stepped, and been welcomed, into our industry, enjoyed our protection and conditions, conditions hard won down through the years, without the payment of one penny piece to our organisation, this then being the tradition of the socalled acquisitive watersider." The statement, issued by E. A. Napier, secretary of the N.Z. Waterside Workers' Union, Wellington branch (on behalf of the Press committee), is also signed by R. O'Donnell, president, T. J. Wells, vice president, T. H. Bruce, bureau officer, and Jas. E. Napier, walking delegate.