DISLOYALISTS BARRED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15499, 5 January 1914, Page 8

DISLOYALISTS BARRED.

SITUATION IN LYTTELTON. CASUAL HANDS MOVING. EQUAL RIGHTS WANTED. fBY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATIONCheihtchubcr, Sunday. The member for Lyttelton, Mr. J. McCombs, was at Lytteltoa yesterday, and had a consultation, lasting about two h.,urs, with the station master and officials of thr> Railway Casual Wharf Labourers' Union in connection with reinstate members of that union, who refused to sign a tie elf-rati on to work beside members of the new union. Hie result of the conference was not communicated to tho press. Mr. McCombs also approached Senior-Sorgeant Ryan, who is in charge of tho police guarding the waterfrout, and asked that the public be given access to the waterfront," the strike being now settled. Tho sergeant stated that he could not do this, as his orders to guard the entrances had not been countermanded.

Some interesting developments are anticipated in connection with the Lyttclton Railway Casual Wharf Labourers' Union. This is the union that undertakes to supply, wharf labourers for the Railway Department, and is now affiliated with the Amalgamated. Society of Railway Servants. A statement was made to-day by a representative of the union. *He said that when it was decided to rccpen the Port of Lyttelton the station.. at Lyttelton informed ''ho executive ot the. union thaO all those vtio did m . before a. specified hour, sign an undertaKsig to do work for the Department woultt not bo employed bv the Department in future. The majority of the members of the union signed this undertaking, but a number, estimated at between 20 and 30, did not do so. These men are alleged to be federationists. Those who stood by the Department and worked for it were subjected to the jeers, and jibes of the strikers, including members of their own hp .-.'i wlio kr.d failed to -J ,n tho undertake alr<.a<t; o)'«lion»'*.. .$:• loyalists in fact were trc;ied as " blacklegs.' About thrw weeks ago the union sent delegates to Wellington to interview the railway authorities and with the gene'. secretary of tho Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants saw Mr. A McVilly, chief clerk of tho Railway Department. They asked for certain concessions, which were granted On condition that the union offe.ea no in* ducement to the disloyalists to re-enter the union. This condition was agreed to_ by the union's delegates, and tho disloyalßa, in accordance with the rules of the Amalgamated Society of Railway ( Servants, ceased to bo members Of the union by reason of their refusal to do work for the Department'. ' 51 ' . The latest development is that a movement is on foot-, which ha* for its object the reinstatement/ of tho_ disloyalists and the removal of any discrimination against them. At the lime the port was rtfopet.ed therfe was an understanding between the Department and the union that the members of the union who stood loyally by the Denafcmont should receive preference of employment, and that When they hod all received work, and there, was still more labour required, preference should then be given to a number ot men Who joined the union at : this period in' order that - sufficient labour should be available to meet any demands made by the Department. The movement now on foot, with which Mr. McCombs, M.P., is alleged to be connected, is for tho purpoisd of placing the membars of the union who refused work at tho critical period on the same footing as the members who remained loyal, to the Department. The loyal members consider that if this is done they will have good cause to complain of a breach' of faith on the part of the Department. A side issue is the fact that a number of the members of the old Waterside Workers' Union are applying for admission to the Railway Casual Wharf Labourers' Union, the intention apparently being to 'swamp that union with members who are'either foderationists or strong sympathisers with the United Federation of Labour. 4 ' :\ f,