SEAMEN’S DISPUTE

Grey River Argus, 2 August 1934, Page 5

SEAMEN’S DISPUTE

UNCERTAINTY STILL Lyttelton Men AGREE TO SAIL TO-DAY. (Per Press Association.) The shipping hold-up continues at Lyttelton, where eight vessels are hek' up. CHRISTCHURCH, August 1. The shipping dispute nt Lyttelton, by which eight vessels have been be I *' up’ at Lyttelton since Monday, has been set I led, and it is expected that all of the. vessels will leave Lyttelton t o-morrovv morning. The Port Whangarei and the Pai’era are to sap for Wellington .-»>on after midnight The others to sail are: The Kapili for Wanganui; the Gale, Storm an/l Totara for Wellington; the Pukcko foWaikokopu; and the Taupata for Nelson The men held a meetii g this afte. - - noon. ami subsequently, it was com municated to the shipping co.mpaniss that the men would take th e ships tn sea, provided that none of them we* - ' logged for refusing duty, during tne dispute. The necessary assurances were, apparel fly. given, for it was later stat ed that the -ships would sail to-morrow.

Ships at Dunedin SAIL FOR THE NORTH. AFTER MEETINGS OF MEN. DUNEDIN, August 1. After being held up for about 24 hours, the steamer Wainui and the Moor ship Breeze left Dunedin this evening for northern ports. The Wainui was ready to sail on Tuesday evening, but the seamen announced their intention to remain in port until to-day, in order to attend a meeting of the crews. The reason for the meeting was not stated. The seamen from the Wainui, Breeze and Waikouaiti held a meeting this morning, and returned to their ships before noon. The owners were then advised that the crews would meet again at 3 p.m. Shortly after 4 p.m., the owners were notified that the crews would take their ships to sea. The Wainui sailed at 5 p.m. for Wellington, Napier and Gisborne, via ports, and the Breeze at 8 p.m. for Wellington, Wanganui and New Plymouth, via ports. The Waikouaiti arrived this morning from Australia., via Hobart and Bluff, but the vessel was not affected by the hold-up, and she will not sail before Saturday for Timaru and Lyttelton. Seamen’s Union MEETING TO-DAY AT WELLINGTON, WELLINGTON, August 1. There was no official meeting of the Seamen’s Union held here 'to-day. The Kini and Opihi arc still held up. It is stated that there will be a meeting of the Union to-mortow - morning. STRIKE BALLOTS EXPECTED. CHRISTCHURCH. August 1. A crisis is expected to morrow, as it is understood here that strike ballots arc being taken at Dunedin and Auckland, and it 'is believed that the dispute will spread. A Wellington Forecast END OF STOPPAGE. WELLINGTON, August 1. There was no change in the shipping hold-up at Wellington to-day. All of the vessels sailed as usual, except the Kini and the Opihi, which were again held up in Wellington. A meeting of the Seamen’s Union is now called for to-morrow morning. Meetings of the seamen were held to-day at Auckland, Lyttelton and Dunedin, and it is stated that at each port the men voted almost unanimously in favour of taking their ships to sea, and it is anticipated that at the meeting to be held in Wellington tomorrow morning, a similar decision w r ill be reached. DISPUTE OVER PAYING OUT. CHRISTCHURCH, August 1. A hitch has occurred concerning the ship “Foxton- ’’ now at Kaiapoi. The wages of her crew were not paid at the end of the. month, the reason given being that Kaiapoi is not a port in which the employers are bound t'O pay wages under the agreement. and that the usual procedure in such cases is to pay at t he next paying out port at which the vessel arrives. The men demanded their pay at Kaiapoi, and the crews at Lyttelton supported their demand. The difficulty was got over by negotiating, and the Foxt'On is expected to sail to-morrow if there is sufficient water on the Kaiapoi bar. AT GREYMOUTH. “KAKARIKI” INCIDENT. The position at Greymouth remains unchanged, the five ships affected being tied up at the wharf. The men held a meeting last evening, but nothing definite was decided. However, a decision is expected to-day. Last evening the s.s. Kakariki, whose crew are on Australian articles, and therefore not affected by the strike, was berthed alongside the Kaimiro, at the lower end of the wharf, the intention being to unload timber, for Melbourne, from the latter to the former. However, the crew of the Kaimiro refused to supply steam to work cargo, and the idea was abandoned'. The Kakariki was then shifted to the

wharf, and the loading of her usual cargo was resumed. According to advice received in Greymouth last evening, the position also remained unchanged in Westport yesterday. Two vessels, the Kini and the Opihi, were held up in Wellington yesterday, awaiting the result of a meeting in that centre. THE ISSUE. FROM SEAMEN’S STANDPOINT. Speaking last evening to an Argus” representative, a member of the Seamen’s Union said that the public would not in every locality have the seamen’s side of the dispute put before them, and he was therefore pleased to state the men’s attitude for the Greymouth public in the columns of the “Argus.” “To the average worker, as he picks up the paper and in his home comfortably reads the n6ws of the seamen’s strike,” he said, “the events narrated are only mildly interesting. But is the average worker. nevertheless, vitally concerned in the final outcome of the strike? Yes, emphatically. This is really the preliminary skirmish to greater battles. It represents the struggle of the whole working class for improved living conditions, to which our civilisation, with its infinite capacity to produce and its infinite capacity also to consume, justly entitled them. That the mechanism of distribution is sadly out of gear under this capitalistic system cannot be blamed upon the workers. City Councils and Harbour Boards throughout New Zealand have, in the main, restored—partly or in full—the wage cuts imposed upon employees the last few years. The question remains: Are the seamen entitled to same? We think so. Our living conditions are much below, those of the average employed worker ashore. For instances, the shore worker has fresh food and vegetables, and comfortable rooms. The “Waikawa,” after 30 days at sea, arrived at Auckland at 8 a.m. and departed at 5 p.m. the same day. What of the married man who has no time to even get home, The Otakia was 28 days at sea going from Wellington to San Pedro, and was only 12 hours there, w’ith plenty of overhauling to do, but no time to go ashore. She sailed the same day. taking 28 days to home back, and then she was away again within 24 hours! Sweat and toil through the Tropics—stagger up after one’s watch, too tired and exhausted to do more than wash—and then turn in, looking forward with dread for when the clock inexorably ticks off the eight hours of leisure and brings forward the time of the start of one’s next watch. That is the record in a nutshell. There are overcrowded and badly-ventilated fo’cles, twelve men being crowded into a space in which City Council regulations ashore would only permit one to live. Social life is entirely absent. It. leads men to a desire for a “bust up” to relieve the dreary monotony of the ship-board —the semi-prison routine during the voyage.

“Upon the outcome of this struggle depends the restoration or otherwise of the cuts for the rest of the workers in other industries throughout New Zealand. The wage reductions, the increase in the exchange rate, and the resultant policy of retrenchment of this Government in the past have almost completly abolished the purchasing power of the public, which means the ultimate bankruptcy of the whole community. The seamen of this country are at present involved in a struggle for a restoration of cuts and an improvement in their conditions, and incidentally they are fighting in the interest of the whole community. I would address these remarks to our fellow workers in the marine industry, with special attention to such cooks and stewards, mates, engineers and skippers, who have everything to gain by supporting us in this struggle to the best of their ability. I must thank the “ Argus” for giving the opportunity to make known the seamen’s position, and you may take it that what I have said is the conviction of the seamen generally, even if your evening contemporary should again question us by calling my remarks those of a ‘Bush Lawyer.’ ” N.Z. SHEARERS’ WAGES. CHRISTCHURCH, August 1. Substantial increases have been gamed in the rates of wages to be paid t'o shearing workers in the 1934-35 season, according to a circular issued bv the New Zealand Workers’ Union, which states that as a result an addtional £lOO,OOO will go to the men. Shearers are to get 22/6 a hundred instead of 18/-. Pressers by week 55/- instead of 45/- Other shed hands 50/- instead of 40/-. BROKEN HILL DISPUTE. SYDNEY, August 1. At Broken Hill. 550 men are idled at the south mine because of a dispute between four offsiders to the platmen operating double decker cages. DUBLIN NEWSPAPER STRIKE. DUBLIN. July 31. The newspaper strike may be extended to the transport workers, who are demanding higher wages. The sale of British newspapers is prohibited in Dublin.