SALVAGE OPERATIONS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15858, 2 September 1913, Page 6

SALVAGE OPERATIONS

TROUBLE WITH THE WATERSIDE WORKERS. V: DEMAND FOR HIGHER PAY. HARBOUR BOARD EMPLOYEES . SUSPENDED. A SERIOUS POSITION. (Fbom Oub Own Cobbespondent.) ' WELLINGTON, September 1. A very serious position, from many points ot view, arose to-day in connection with the salvage operations, of the s.s. Devon. This occurred through the refusal of members of the Waterside WorkersUnion to handle , cargo salved from the Devon. Some 15 of me permanent hands of the Wellington Harbour Board also refused to do this work, and as the rest (save one) supported them in their refusal the whole stall was suspended. On Saturday the Waterside Workers' Union men refused 2s an hour ordinary and <33 an hour overtime to work on the Devon, demanding 5s per hour, on the ground- that the work was arduous. This offer of 2s an hour and 3s overtime was 7d an hour ordinary time over the rates paid on the Wellington wharves. Having the union men's, refusal to work the agents engaged free labour, and with it did excellent work on Saturday, salving no fewer than 1050 cases of oil and some machinery. The company conveyed the men out to the wreck and back and fed them thei'e; time counting from the departure from Wellington to the return. Practically 13 hours 1 work was guaranteed,, bringing in something like £i lOs'a day. It was understood that as the work . grew more arduous and came to the water the . remuneration would be correspondingly increased. The cargo salved- was on board the Awaroa and the Echo, at the wool wharf, awaiting discharge at 8 a.m. this morning, but on labour being sought to discharge the cargo none was forthcoming. The agents appealed to the harbour board, the body responsible for the conveyance of cargo from the ship's side to the shed, and the board, through its officials, asked a gang of eignt men from' its permanent stalf to turn to at the Awaroa. They refused to do so ■ an'ff were immediately suspended, and at 1 p.m. a second'gang of "permanents" (in the employ of the board the whole year through) was asked to work the Awaroa's cargo and all save one refused after a consultation with. Captain .Munro (wharfinger), and were suspended. The rest of.tne permanent staff then waited on the secretary (Mr H. Nicholls) and the wharfinger, and after going into the -pros and coni of the whole matter Mr Wicflolls gave the men an hoar to decide what action they were going to take: whether they would work the Awaroa's cargo or not. The men Aid a meeting, and \jhen the time limit was up their representatives informed the secretary that tney had decided po endorse the action of the fifteen men who had refused to work the Awaroa's cargo, whereupon the whole 65 permanent labourers on the staff of the itoard were suspended.

The refusal of each section of the men is serious. The Waterside Workers' Union has an agreement with the board which continues in operation till January, 1914. The precipitate action of the waterside workers is held to. be a distinct breach of this agreement. It is therein provided that any dispute or difference, as the same ehall arise, shall be referred to a committee to be composed of three .representatives of the union at the port concerned and three representatives of the employers for their decision. The decision of the majority of the committee shall be binding, and if no decision is arrived at the committee shall submit the point in dispute to some independent person to be chosen by it, and if his decision is not acceptable to both parties then the matter shall be referred for further negotiation to the New Zealand Federation of Labour, and the employer or employers concerned. The action of the men would certainly 6eem to call for an explanation

One possible excuse is that the work asked to be done originated outside the harbour limits, but just what are the harbour limits in the locality of the Heads is clearly 6et out on the big mapS on the walls of the Harbour Board's room, where an arc is described from a point about half-way between Pencarrow and Baring Heads on the eastern side of the entrance to the west beach, Island Bay,' to the 'west. The Gazette' notice describing the legal harbour limits details the line as " a circle three nautical raile6 from the outer, rock of Barrett's reef." This leaves the Devon well within the harbour limits, if not within the harbour proper. As far as the action of the permanent hands is concerned the board's officers were very surprised. The men, it is urged, were asked to do every-day work—work absolutely within their province—and] their refusal to turn to, it is stated, has complicated the situations far as the salving' of the cargo from the Devon is concerned, and has jeopardised their own position as members of teh Harbour Board s staff. These men have very special privileges. Their first uniform is given them free of charge, and for the others tliev have to pay only half the cost. They are entitled to sick pay, and get-full pay, if injured in'the service of the board. Furthermore, they have a superannuation fund towards which the board contributes £65 for every £100 paid in by the men. They are paid a fixed wage all the year round, busy times and slack. Recently they formed ait association and wrote to the bbard that it had nothing whatever to do with any union Or federation.

The position is to. be considered by a special meeting of the board to-morrow morning. There exist all the elements for. very serious complications arising.