AT LYTTELTON

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12076, 2 March 1925, Page 7

AT LYTTELTON

, ACTION BY EMPLOYERS NO FRESH CAULS FOR LABOUR, LYTTELTON WILL SOON BE IDLE. * CHRISTCHURCH, February 28. , No : call was made at Lyttelton this morning for men to load the Port Auckland. II the call had been made it is probable, that ■it would hare evoked a response, as many men waited at the Coronation Hall until 10.30 o’clock, when—the last call is always made. . ' Evidently. (says the “Sun”) as a counterstroke to the refusal of the section of the watersiders that usually loads meat and butter to -accept engagement: yesterday - for the , Port Auckland,’ no c&ll was made either at' & dr 10.30 a.m. to-day, for a gang of meat-workers for that vessel. Like, yesterday, no fresh.- labour for. other boats was. put on. ,It is probable .that if.a call, bad been made this.maro!pAf£, it-would net- have been- ignored, staffed 5Q or 60 men Who were* congregawd 'at'-the-Coronation Hall waited. jdnlßl 1,0.30 a.m., when the last call is, majjfe, on, Saturdays, instead of leaving for theif homes. • ' been . pointed out that when' Kinsey!.and Oo?s foreman made a call ,y*oerday .morning for men. to . load meat atthePor’ iuckland there were, only in-the whols-orowd of watersiders six-meat-Workers, and these hitherto : ihatd - heefl, employed 'chiefly by the Shaw, Sayill ana Albion Co. These - men,', ft- is alleged; have been ' overlooked in the past by -Messrs Kinsey and Co. whf n engaging meat-handlers for any of their, vessels. Consequently, it was,unreasonable to expect the men now to come forward just to get'the company out of a tight corner. • Apropos of the company’s attitude in making-no call this morning for the Port Auckland, one of-the .workers remarked that he had noticed the shipowners at Melbourne, had applied for- a penalty clause to he inserted in the Waterside "Workers’ Award providing for drastic measures for acts tend-,, ing to,a breach of an nward. and providing’ for a £SO. penalty if the federa-, tion or members to, the number of two or more in combination , failed to offer themselves for work. The question now occurred to him; was the employer who required labour and failed- to make a call for each labour not rendering himself liable, like the worker, forva breach of the award ? . v THE MEN’S CASE.

It is asserted by the men that Messrs Kinsey and Co. have no just reason to be dissatisfied with the men’s refusal to work the Port Auckland, inasmuoh as la number of the watersiders who generally work meat had accepted employment and were engaged yesterday and this morning ■at the loading of wool and tallow on the shine vessel. Again, it must be ’borne in mind "that there are only about four gangs meatmen on the waterfront at. present, as the others had either gpne grass-, seeding, shearing, or harvesting on account of scarcity of work in the port, further, those who worked meat preferred, j for health reasons, employment at other classes of cargo, rather than accept the rate provided in the award. They were within their rights in not Seeking employment in a vessel’s freez-ing-chamber. ~ . There is, of course, the other siUe or the story; which is not being disclosed at present. v : Kinsey and Co. did not ask the men engaged during the morning at. _the loading of wool and tallow at the Port Auckland to com* back in the-after-noon, and in oohsequench the vessel will remain idle ■ until Monday. . The Kamoua, which arrived this morning from Wellington, is on the idle list. ■ ’ . ■. : • ~, Owing to the trouble the crew or the coastal steamer Cyguet were, paid off, this morning, and the vessel .will he laid up until’the waterside dispute is settled.-