WATERSIDE WORKERS' FEDERATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14917, 20 August 1910, Page 9

WATERSIDE WORKERS' FEDERATION

'ANNUAL CONFERENCE. {Pbr TJhitbd Fksss Assocrraoif.y CHRISTCHURCH, August 18. Tho Waterside Workers' Federation continued its annual conlcrcnco to-day. Romit No. 7—" That the Arbitration find Conciliation Act be amended, Riving power to unions to limit their membership to the number only that can earn a living wage, as shown by the employers* wage book for the preceding 12 months." After discussion the remit was adopted by 17 voles to 3. Remit No. 8—" That the Government be urged to bring in an Electoral Reform Bill on the following lines: First, that all persons over 21 years, who have been resident in New Zealand for 12 montli6, and who are naturalised British subjects, shall bo entitled to vote for Parliament or any local public body where vqting is required; second, that all persons entitled to vole shall vote on an elector's right, to be taken out ovcry 12 months; third, in case of death the doctor's right to'be lodged along wilh,the death certificate with the registrar." The first clauso of the remit was withdrawn, and the othor two clauses were carried unanimously. Remit.No. 9—"That the Minister of Labour and Marine bo staked, to include a clause in the Arbitration Act dealing with . Salvage work either afloat or ashore." The remit was fully discussed. Tho arduous and sometimes nauseating work of salvage (as in the case of the stranding of the Kaipara in Auckland harbour) being touched on by various speakors. The consensus of opirtion was that each union should endeavour to get the Arbitration Court to ineert a special salvage clause in its award, in order that the special nature of salvage work might bo taken into consideration, and the rate of pay fixed accordingly. An amendment ;o this effect was carried, tho original remit being thrown out. Remit No. 10—" That the Minister of Justice bo asked to alter the present constitution of the Arbitration Court so that any industry applying to the court should appoint its own assessors, one from the union and one from employers, to sit with the president, instead of.two permanent assessors as at present. The remit was unanimously adopted. Remit No. 11—" That the Minister of Labour be asked to reduce tho weight »f wool and flax in dumps exportod from tho Dominion, as is being done in respect to cereals and grain sacks." This was carried with one dissentient.

Remit No. 12-" That the Minister of Labour be urged to see that each and every company and every employer .throughout Now Zealand shall be brought under the Workmons Compensation Act, or any other act pertaining to the wellbeing of the workers throughout New Zealand," Tho discussion showed that the remit met with the approval of delegates, and it vjas adopted unanimously. Eemit No. 13—"That the Minister of Marine be urged to appoint inspectors to examine the working gear of all cargo vessels, especially vessels employed in the intercolonial trade and on the coasts of New Zealand." As a number of speakers pointed out, danger was incurred owing to no supervision being made by the inspectors, and instanced a number of casualties due to faulty gear. The remit was adopted unanimously.

At this stage a telegram was received from the Now Zealand Federation of Labour Conference sitting in Wellington conveying fraternal greetings, ■ and suggesting that a conference be held between the executives to discuss the position with a view to amalgamation for mutual benefits. The communication was toceived, and consideration of the proposal of amalgamation was held over until the remit dealing with the question came up for discussion. Remit No. 14—"That the Minister of Justice bo requested to bring doini legislation compelling the police when summoning a coroner's jury to act on tho inquest of any person "killed or fatally injured while following their employment, to summon (or, as far 'as possible) only workers engaged in the particular industry in which the deceased met his death. The remit wns briefly discussed, and carried without dissent. ■

Remit No. 15—" That the Minister of Labour be asked to bring down an amendment to No. 9, subsection (c), sec tion 5 of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, shortening the period, from 12 months to three months, in which a member of an industrial union being in arrears was deemed unfinancial under the act." The remit was amended to make the period six months instead of thrco months, and in its amended form was carried by. 16 votes to 4.

Remit No. 16-" That the Minister of Marino be asked to amend the Shipping and Seamen's Act to provide that no member of any vessel's crew shall be allowed to work on various wharves and ships handling such vossol's cargo where sfioro labour is available." The remit was unanimously adopted. _ Remit No. 17—"That this conference in meeting assembled emphatically affirms the necessity and justice of an equitable and workiible Fair Rent Bill, realising that the higher rents demanded in tjjo respective centres of population are ex torlionary, and out of all proportion to wages.'" Several delegates contended that rents had very materially increased, and a corresponding increase had -not been made in wages. The remit was earned unanimously.

Remit No.. 18—"That the conicrence endorses Dr Findlay's proposal to appoint public defenders in each centre of popula tion throughout the Dominion, and urges him to bring down legislation in that direction as speedily as possible, This was carried with one dissentient. Remit No. 19, affirming tho desirability for a scheme whereby all workers wore insured by Government against sickness and death as the Tesult of such sickness, was withdrawn on the ground that a bill dealing with the matter was already before tho House. Remit No,. 20, dealing with the selection oi labour candidates for parlia-' mentary and other elections was held over until the question of the political position of the federation was discussed. This disposed of Auckland's remits. Mr DoWdnll, on behalf of tho Welling ton Union, brought forward the remits of his union Remit 'No. 21-" That the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation affiliate with the New Zealand Federation of Labour (as registered)," was defeated and an amendment to the remit was under discussion when the conference adjourned. August 19. Hie conference was resumed to-day. The discussion on the first Wellington remit (No. 21)-" That the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation affiliate with the New Zealand Federation of Labour (as registered) "—was resumed. A lcng debale ensued as to the desirability of affiliating with the New Zealand Federation of Labour as brought forward by the Trades Council. The remit was ultimately defeated, and an amendment {hat the federation should affiliate with the Trades Council's NewZealand Federation of Labour was carried by 16 votes to 6. It was then agreed on the motion of Mr Dowdall (Wellington), that a^referendum' should be taken among tho unions to decide whether the members wore in favour.of the affiliation decided upon by the conference, 'the referendum to be returnable within three months. A further motion to suspend affiliation until after the referendum had been taken was rejected. Remit No. 22—" That the conference be instructed to bring under the notice of the Government .the necessity of amending the present Compensation Actto provide (1) that all injured waterside workers receive full payment from timo of injury; (2) that all'the expenses of 'conveyance and surgical aid be borne- by the employers; (3) that payinent.be made eight days after injury "—was defeated, an amendment, that the act be amended to provide that any worker injured should rccoive full pay from the date of injury, the first payment to U made six days after tho accident, and payment thereafter to be made weekly, being carried. Remit No. 23—"That the conference reaffirm the principle of stated hoiu-s of engagement for waterside workers (8 to 9 a.m., 1 to 2 p.m., and 4.30 to 5 p.m."— was carried Uiianimousry,

Remit No. 24—"That tho Now Zealand Waterside Workers' Conference is of opinion that the socialisation of tho means of life is tho workers' only hope, and that we pledgo oursej "cs to assist in the furtherance of thiß 'principle with all the means in our power " was carried nflsr a short discussion.

Remit No. 25-" That the conference consider the system of cargo dumping, and. if possjble, doviso.ways and means of abolishing it "-was then considered. It was contended that the'system tended to save the employers a large amount of expense which meant a corresponding decreaso in the amount earned by_ wharf hands. Tho . remit was unanimously adopted. Remit No. 26—" That tho conference affirms the principle of a statutory Saturday half-holiday on all wharves "—was carried with one dissentient.

Remit No. 27—" That tho conferenco reaffirms the principle of the compulsory provision and maintenance of casualty wards on all the wharves in the Dominion, and the subsidising of medical officers " — was next considered. Tho mover pointed out the difficulty that sometimes arose in obtaining the services of a doctor and the lack of suitable accommodation. The romit was unanimously adopted. Remit No. 28—" That the Government be urged to consider the serious loss of wages incurred by the waterside workers owing to the shortage of railway trucks at the different ports of tho Dominion, particularly Wellington"—was carried with two or three dissentients, who argued that if the Government provided more rolling stock the tendency would be for the shipping companies to make tho men who were unloading work longer bonis. Remit No. 29, suggesting that the conferenco should consider the question of out-port work, particularly with reference to Sunday sailing, was adopted, and a motion was carried requesting the delegates upon their return to urge their unions to refrain from accepting out-port work in the terms of the present agreement.

Remits Nos. 20 and 31 were deleted, as thiry bad already been covered by previous motions.

Remit No. 32—" That the conference approves of ways and means of having available statistical information regarding the number of men following waterside employment, as provided in Mr M'Laren's proposed bill " —was carried unanimously. Remit No. 33, urging that quarterly reports bo supplied to branches of the federation was dropped, as the proposal was already covered by the rules.

This disposed of the Wellington remits, and the Wanganui remits were then proceeded with.

Remits Nos. 34 and 35 T "That the federation wait on the Railway Department, asking it to discontinue tho practice in Wanganui of keeping back three days' pay from casual workers on tho wharves," and " that the federation urge upon the Government (where casual labour is employed in Wanganui) that a ticket should be issued with the time worked on it to enable the worker to draw his money as soon as work was finished, the same as was dono by a private employer "—were taken as one remit, and adopted after full discission. Remit No. 36, urging that proper sleeping and dining accommodation be provided for all stevedores working in roadsteads in New Zealand, was carried unanimously. The conference then adjourned.