SIXTEEN HUNDRED MEN OUT

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8559, 23 October 1913, Page 9

SIXTEEN HUNDRED MEN OUT

BREACH OF AGREEMENT ALLEGED

Sixteen hundred men, members of the Waterside Workers' Union, are on strike in Wellington, and in consequence the handling of cargo on the wharves, with the exception of that dealt with by the permanent employees of the Harbour Board, has been suspended. The trouble has been simmering for a few days, and arose in the first instance from the refusal of the Union Steam Ship Company and other employers to recognise certain claims of the shipwrights who are nqw members of the Waterside Workers’ Union. The shipwrights went on strike, and to consider the position which then arose a “stop-work" meeting of the Waterside Workers’ Union was called for 8 o’clock yesterday morning, and was attended by about 1000 men, a number of whom wore engaged to unload cargo from the Rimutaka, Wairuna, and Wahine. The meeting lasted till 9.10, and when the men returned to their work at 10 o’clock they found their places filled by other union men w’ho had boon engaged by the companies’ head stevedores. In consequence the executive of the union waited on Mr W. A. Kennedy, local manager of tho Union Steam Ship Company and explained the position to him, but failing a satisfactory answer called another general meeting of tho members at 1 o’clock. At this gathering it was decided that unless the men were ro-instnted, members of the union would not start work today. Tho decision was communicated to a conference of shipowners, and in the afternoon a reply was received stating that the conference held that tho men’s refusal to commence work at tho usual hour that morning was a flagrant broach of tho agreement between tho employers and the union, and that tho employers regarded tho agreement as having been terminated. As a result tho men will not work today. Tho men who were engaged in the first instance, it is stated, had got over tho handling.of tho difficult portions of tho cargo, which meant that tho men who were superseding them would come in for tho easiest work; also that they would be deprived of tho chance of earning a considerable »mount of overtime.

STEVEDORES UNION ISSUES ULTIMATUM TO EMPLOYERS