SKILLED AND UNSKILLED LABOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18516, 29 March 1922, Page 5

SKILLED AND UNSKILLED LABOUR

’ BLACK VERSUS WHITE. ARBITRATION COURT DISCUSSION. (Pm United Pkebs Association.' WELLINGTON. March 28. Tie question of the degree of skill required by a waterside worker in handling cargoes and as to whether a white man was better qualified “for that class of labour than a Mack man, was discussed between the bench and the advocate for the Waterside Workers’ Union (Mr Roberts) in the course ot the hearing of the waterside dispute. In his evidence on Monday Captain Walton hod expressed the opinion that waterside labour was unskilled, and had pointed out (hat in other parts the work was carried out by native labour. Mr Roberts contended that skilled work was such os required a lengthy period of apprenticeship. Mr Justice Frazer said the Court quite realised that different degrees of experience or skill might be required for certain classes of work on the wharves. Mr Roberts said most of the waterside workers in Wellington were perhaps seamen, who went to sea at 16 years of age. Although they were not actually apprenticed, they served an apprenticeship in this work before they became able seamen. Whether their following as fully qualified able seamen might be termed skilled or not was a point he would like explained by the Court. The President said he could only answer the question in one way. Certain work on the waterfront approximated more nearly to skilled trades. Until the Court learned what those particular jobs were it could not express an opinion. He preferred to think that a white man was the better worker. Mr Roberts: He is superior. _ Captain Walton thinks a white man is inferior. His Honor said he hoped the white man would retain his superiority. A witness had stated that stevedoring work was not skilled in the sense in which the clause under discussion meant. To back up the statement he had stated ho had seen native races employed in the same work. Mr Roberts said he had seen the native race herded about in Australia. To suggest that local workers were on the same level rather stained them. Captain Walton said he had not. said -uch a thing. His Honor: I think Captain Walton .v’ll tell you ho did not mean anything like that We know that native races produced v ry skilled tradesmen and professional men. Ordinary skilled labour in foreign ports is, I think, performed by men not of a skilled profession or the qualified tradesmen class. It is done more by what is known as “coolie” class, a class of labour that is generally considered unskilled. There is a degree ot expertness that is sometimes called skilled. Although pick and shovel work is generally regarded as unskilled there K yet a certain degree of expertness in it. After further discussion the subject dropped, and Mr Roberts proceeded with his cross-examination.