WATERSIDE WORKERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2860, 6 January 1909, Page 30

WATERSIDE WORKERS.

FRICTION AT THE WHARF. There was friction at the Dunedin wliarf on Friday morning among the member* of the Waterside Workers' Uni»n, consequent on their refusal to work alongside -a small,, section of noa-unionists. Some 60 members of the union had been engaged to work th» cargo on the Huddart-Paricer Co.'s «fceamer Viotoria when arjiwed early on Monday morning, but when the "time came for them to atart they intimated that they would refuse to work unless the cervices of about seven non-unionists, who bid also been engaged, were dispensed with. The wh»le of the men had been engaged by Messrs J. Mill and Co., stevedores, the arrangement being thai after being engaged th«y are employed by th 9 Huddart-Pavker Co., and are controlled by the mates of the ship. In accordance with clause 9 of the industrial agreement in relation to the working of overtime, any man required to work oveitime must be engaged during ordinary working hours, except on Saturdays, when the men required for overtime shall be engaged between the houre of 11 an«l 12 in the forenoon. Messrs ' J. Mill and Co.'s representative was ac-, eordingly on the wharf on Saturday morning to engage men for the working of the Victoria, commenting at * o'clock on Monday morning, but only five men were present, and ihese were, of oourssu engaged. A list of the men required in addition was then made out, and as is the custom, posted in the Sailors' Rest, where it can be viewed by all waterside workers. When wo.rk had to be started on Monday morning there were not sufficient men there, the j liet not having been seen by all, and con- j Messrs John Mill and Co. had to engage other men on the gpot. The men claisn that when they were not present j on the wharf at 12 o'clock on Saturday j they should have been looked for afrer- , wards. When the workers were engaged I on (Saturday and Monday morning: Messrs ' John Mill .and Co.'s agent maintains that he was not in a position to iknow who was j j a unionist and who was not. and. further, j that when the non-unionists were engaged on Monday morning members of the union were standing by, but preferred to, 6ay J nothing at that stage. Concerning the engaging of unionists and non-unionists the agreement sets out: "When members of the union and non-members of tlie union are employed together there shall be no distinction between members and non-mem-bers, and both shall work in liarmony and shall receive equal pay for equal work." _On Monday, however, the workers insisted that non-unionists had no right to be engaged before members of the union. They stood -firm on the point of refusing to work, and as there v.a? likely to be *erious delay in the handling of the ship's cargo, and consequently in the departure of the steamer, Messrs Jokn Mill and Co.V clerk gave way to the wishes of the men. Three or four of the non-unionists exj pressed their willingness to join the union, and were allowed to commence work, but the services of the others w-erc dispensed with. 1

— A good horse, according to an Arab test, is one that can stand porfectiy erect upon his legs when drinking from a shal- , low pool.