TIMARU WHARF – WORKERS STRIKE FOR HIGHER PAY.

Maoriland Worker, Volume 2, Issue 42, 22 December 1911, Page 12

TIMARU WHARF - WORKERS STRIKE FOR HIGHER PAY.

A TRUCE EFFECTED.

• The demand of the Timaru wharf - workers for increased rates of pay made a fortnight ago, led to a. stoppage of work at that port on. Monday last week. Tho men asked for an increase of rates from Is 6d an hour and 2s overtime for all work to Is 9d and 2s 6d for general cargo and 2s and 3s for coal, guano, etc., and frozen meat hold work. The employers submitted an alternative proposal to last till the general conference for the Dominion meets next year. They offered the old rate for general cargo and 3d extra for ordinary and overtime for foreign coal, manures, and frozen meat. This was refused by the men, who ceased work, with the result that shipping was held up. On Tuesday a meeting of the Lyttelton Waterside Workers' Union was addressed by Mr. R. Semple, organiser of the Federation of Labor, who spoke for over an hour and a half., and strongly advocated the claims of the Federation.

Advice was received from Mr. R.Gould, secretary of the Timaru Union, as to the action of the men at that port. , Finally the Eyttelton-me.il decided to advise the strikers to return to work pending a. conference to be held at Dunedin between, representatives of the Timaru, Lyttelton, and Westport Unions and Federation officials during the following week. Mr. H. R. Voyce, secretary of the Lyttelton Union, and Mr. Armstrong visited Timaru on Wednesday to confer with the men .'there. The upshot of this was that an agreement was come to between the shipping agents and the Waterside. Workers* Union, under which the latter resumed work at the rates offered them by employers on Tuesday. This agreement was made pending the result'of the Dunedin conference.

During the trouble at Timaru complications, arose through the attitude of the railway men employed on the wharves, who refused to handle the trucks of Oregon timber slung-by the Chinese crew of ihe steamer Anerley. Telegrams were sent to Sir J. Ward. One of these messages ran: — - "Timaru, December 13. —Employers' Association protest against railways refusing to receive, cargo from ships at -wharf. Captain offered wages demand- : ed, but union refused because other owners decline to agree. Captain then put on Chinese crew at Is 9d an hour to work cargo aboard. No Chinese working in trucks. —(Signed) Gordon Wood, secretary." The Prime Minister replied as follows : —"Regret any difficulty has arisen at Timaru. The railway employees can not be expected to take the places of the waterside workers and receive cargo worked by Chinese crew. Anything I can do to help settle the dispute will be gladly done, but in the interests iof white men. and their wives and i families who reside in the Dominion g I feel sure you will on reflection agree with mc that it is neither fair nor right that railway employees should be allowed to take the places of the waterside workers pending; the settlement of the trouble. ,.