WATERFRONT LABOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18388, 2 May 1923, Page 10

WATERFRONT LABOUR.

NEW WELLINGTON SCHEME.

A BALLOT TO BE TAKEN.

[by. i telegraph.—-own ■ correspondent.] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. ■'!)} The'.watersiders: of Wellington and their employers : commenced an experiment : in; organisation. They ;.adopted; : a hew;- system /'of; labour ■■engagement; with' centralised ! control to make employment for a selected number of' men as regular as possible. ;' The Waterside Workers' Cnion has a membership of 1000 but only SOO were selected for work under the new ;system/, Vacancies in ■ this;ranks;• of ■:the chosen have been filled ;by selections from the men originally left out. Thus what. is known ;at the fringe, consisting •Of men who have been unable to obtain anything better .;■; than intermittent \ employment except at very ;bußy\.times,; ; has been, reduced. Tho question' : ; has arisen Whether the new system should be • continued artd a ballot is to be .taken, to ascertain the desire of the majority. i. Formerly a; man could go down to the wharf to look , for work when: ho pleased, out ' now if .he is ' absent ; ' from duty '■■•'. without -'; having '. ■;., notified 1 , the manager of; his/intention ;to bo absent he -? is asked for an explanation. Some of the men feel that their liberty has been -'' bartered away." -; Tho union officials have had to bear teome criticism for their part in introducing. the new: system and the upshot is that all the financial members of -the union 'are; : to be called upon to express approval or disapproval of the- experiment.