THE BONUS LOSS

Evening Star, Issue 25994, 8 January 1947, Page 8

THE BONUS LOSS

(P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 7. Although work on tho waterfront at Lyttelton proceeded normally between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. to-day, no overtime was worked in the evening. Waterside workers were ordered back for 6 p.m., hut declined to work. The question of rates of pay for waterside work to-day was not raised officially by either the Waterside Workers’ Union or the shipowners. As, from this morning, shipowners were operating on the understanding that the workers were being paid on an hourly basis by them, not on a tonnage basis. Even on a restricted 40 hours of work a week, the loss in wages to the workers will be at least £1 3s 4d weekly, through loss of the bonus distribution on cargo handled on a contract basis. The profit earned by the watersiders recently at Lyttelton, in addition to their normal rate of pay of 3s s£d an hour for work between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., has worked out at about 7d an hour. The bonus rate has been the same when penal rates have been paid for overtime. No shortage of labour was experienced at Lyttelton to-day, when the Waterfront Industry Commission’s bureau engaged workers for the day, which was not a particularly busy one in port. A number of “seagulls,” or non-unionists, were employed. From tallies made, the cargo handling rate was normal. The opinion at Lyttelton is that no marked change in the situation is likely to occur until after the National Executive of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Union meets in Wellington next Tuesday.