DISCRIMINATION AGAINST UNIONISTS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10597, 28 October 1910, Page 4

DISCRIMINATION AGAINST UNIONISTS.

(Per Phess Association:) Auckland, October 27. Regarding the alleged discrimination against Unionists reported yesterday, "Mr C. V. Houghton,, manager of the New Zealand Shipping Company, denied absolutely that "the Company was boycotting members of the Union, ; and denied that he had any knowledge of any man being discharged because lie refused to sign a declaration that he was not a member of the Union. He pointed out that- at the recent sitting of the Arbitration Court application was made by the Union to" add parties to their award embracing many firms with stores along the water front. The application was dismissed. One argument advanced by the' secretary of the Union was thathis Company and other firms took men' off the wharf to ' work in their warehouses, and thereby caused inconvenience to shipping and financial loss to the men, who, if they were not detained at the stores at Is an hour could :be earning Is 3d an hour on the wharves. :In order that there should be no > re--potition of ,this his warehousemen had received instructions not to go to /the wharves and employ, waterside workers, and in order to obviate a charge being made against the Company any mail applying for work should be asked if he was a waterside worker and make a declaration to that effect. No man had been discharged because ho was a member of the Union. Two of the men who would not sign the declaration had,said that they were not members of the Union. The Company was doing what -it', could to satisfy the Union, and for the casual work in the stores nonunionists were, if possible, being obtained for the reasons staled.