WATERSIDE WORKERS.

North Otago Times, Volume CIV, Issue 13773, 9 January 1917, Page 2

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

I AUCKLAND WATERSIDE WORKERS t ■ ■ IfE'SOLVE AGAINST NIGHT WOliiC Per I'ross Association. I••. . . ' AUCKLAND, 'January (i, At a ballot of watcrsidcrs-tlip question of eessation ol' work between JO p.in. ami 7 a.m. resulted: Yes..af2, no 59. Carried by -ir)o. EXPIRY OF AGREEMENT. .i ■ • 'VROSIWTS OF A NE W "SETTLEMENT. ' '(.'ONFEIiENCE WEEK.

The agreement framed a year ajo by* tlie New Zealand shipowners and tin' Waterside Workers' Federation lias just expired. The .waterside workers' unions and

tin' shipowners li;ive made it a practice to settle the conditions of employment by means of conferences held privately, ami these have been successful without recourse to the machinery of the Conciliation or the Arbitration Act. Last year the unions and the employers negotiated on a Dominion basis, although the terms of the agree-' ments which were eventually arrived nt varied to meet the requirements and customs of individual ports. That agreement expired on December 111.

CONmJiXCJi SUGGESTED. The shipping companies have received a letter from the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federal ion, which reveals that the terms of lite, new agreement were Ihe subject matter ol: the reeent' conference of (lie unions held in 'Auckland, (lie results of which were kept strictly seerel. 'J'llis lias been sent lo all shipowners and.oilier employers of labour on lluv waterfronts in Auckland, Kaipara, Onehunga, (.lisborne, Napier, New Plymouth, Wangunui, Wellington, Lyttelton, Timaru, Oainaru, Port 'Chalmers, Dunediu, Bluff, G'reymoutli, Westport, Nelson, and I'iutou, and suggests a. conference between representatives of both sides with a view lu arriving at another industrial agreement for airports in the .Dominion.

Till'! COST OP LIVJNtI, "As the present Jagreenieut expires on December .'it,' I9IG, and does not provide for contiuiiily after that date lor uiitil another agreement conies into qieration,'' slated (lie letter of the Federal ion .secretary, "I am instructed to inform you that the conference between us should be held not later than Jionday, January -S, 15)17. The possibility of there being no industrial agreement in I'oivc after Deccnilicr SI, coupled with the increased eosl 'of livi.nji', will doubtless lead lo serious discontent among the workers at.lhe various ports. To avoid this contingency, we therefore respectfully submit that it would lie in the interests of all purlies concerned if Hie conference could be held in' Wellington on or before I January 8, 1017." v No schedule of demands lias vol .been jiresented by the federation lo the employers, but the hint contained in, the

letter is generally interpreted as meaning that the workers will claim increased wages, Although no definite information -was available, it is understood that representatives of the shipping companies will meet at (.'hristclnirch this week, and it is expected that difegatos will Ik 1 appointed to a conference with representatives of the union.

• The Auckland Star'states that a'contingency which seems to- possess the potentialities of dispute is in regard to the system of vyorking at present ■ favoured in Auckland. It is the prac- . tire there to load and unload vessels according to 'their arrival and convenience of departure. That is to say, (he principle of continuous work is in force. In one or two other port si notably Diwcdiii, work is suspended between the hours of 1(1 p.m. and 7 a.m. On the occasion of the arrangement of the last agreement strong opposition was expressed on flic part of the Auckland shipowners to any deviation from the continuous work principle, lmt a demand bits been made by some of the Auckland workers for a ballot of the members of the union on the question nl whether work should cease between In p.m. and 1 a.m.