FERRY EMPLOYEES.

NZ Truth, Issue 57, 21 July 1906, Page 4

FERRY EMPLOYEES.

It is about time the Wellington Harbor Ferry employees either formed a Union of their own or joined some Union that could afford them some protection from the existing conditions under which they toil. Efforts have been made recently to induce them to band together for ■jtoeir. own good and io enable them to obtain some amelioration of their state; but they have been useless, too many of the poor devils funking, m fear ot losing their jobs. And this m New Zealand, the home of liberalism and the working-man's paradise ! That these toilers have substantial grounds for complaint at their lot is beyond dispute, os will be acknowledged by nil who iTn.il ibis when it, \r, stale-:' that, the Wellington Harbor Ferries,

Ltd., consider it a fair thing to work their employees from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. and that they should put m 70 hours a week before receiving any overtime. How is this for our boasted eight-hour day? For this shameful slavery the deck hands (receive £2 10s and £2 per week ! Engineers are paid £3 10s -per week and on one night of each week do not leave the vessel until 10.30 and on another untill 11.30 on one f service ; while on the other they have two nights when they are on duty till at earliest 11.15 and one when it is after 12 p.m. when they can finally leave the ship ; and not even then if the weather compels them to bring the steamer up to a berth m the harbor. This means two days of the week on which they are on duty 16&, 17-J and 18 hours respectively ; and. all the time under a heavy responsibility. Truly, these are nice sort of hours for men to work m a free white-man's country, and it is a terrible commentary on the condition of the New Zealand labor market that men should be afraid to form a Union for .fear of losing such slavish and wretchedly paid billets. The Harbors and Rivers Engineers and Firemen's Union, of Sydney has done wonders m the way of softening' the rigors of life to those so engaged m those sun-kissed waters and yet the ferry companies continue to pay fat dividends and carry large sums to the reserve fund and the depreciation account. The life is infinitely harder on Wellington harbor, particularly m winter, and yet here the conditions under which the ferry hands work are infinitely less generous. If a greedy directorate will not improve; matters voluntarily, recognising, as it must, that the cost of living m Wellington is quite abnormal, then the men should hit out for themselves and bring the directorate to reason. Their cause is a good one, and a good cause is always half the buttle.