LABOUR AMALGAMATION

Otago Witness, Issue 3327, 19 December 1917, Page 9

LABOUR AMALGAMATION

TRANSPORT WORKERS' MEETING. A meeting of the transport workers of Duncdin was hold in Trades Hall on the 12th to consider the advisability of forming a Transport Workers' Federation. Among those present were representatives of the railway workers, carters, watersiders, train way men, and seamen. Mr N. Camphell (secretary of the Port Chalmers Waterside Workers' Union) presided. Mr Lewis Glover (president of the New Zealand Federation of Waterside Workers) said he was disappointed at the small attendance of transport workers. The old attempt to form a great amalgamation of workers in New Zealand had been broken up by the strike in 1913, but they were not going to be discouraged by one set back. In 1915 a conference had been held in Wellington to consider Che organisation of labour along the lines of industrv and the first thing they accomplished was the revival of the old Watersiders' Union. At present thero were 18 waterside unions affiliated with the New Zealand Federation, but this form of organisation was not in the best interests of tho workers. What was required was the formation of one solid waterside union for New Zealand, which would have branches in each port. In the same way there would bo one union for each of the seamen and firemen, A.S.R.S., drivers, and tramwaymen, who formed the other branches Of the transport workers, and the five unions would form a Transport Workers' Federation, which would make an efficient, fighting force for all workers engaged in the transport ■ industry. The reason for this amalgamation was that they were all engaged in the same common work. A oommod'ty was brought in the trains, carted to the wharves, handled by the waterside workers, and then carried to its destination by the seamen and firemen. Under the present conditions each section of these workers was left to obtain the best conditions it could, whereas if it had the power of a Transport Federation behind it there would be no need to go further than to present tho demands which it considered it was iustly entitled to. —(Applause.) Apathy and carelessness were responsible for the present lack of organisation, and if an industry was worth working in it was worth making it fit to live in * instead of making profit for the employer. He had been told that some drivers, after doing eight hours' work, went on to the wharves at night, but this was" stealing another man's job.—(Applause.) A better way would be to form tho Transport Federation, and have conditions which would do away with the necessity of working by night as well as by day. As an example of how the federation would work, the' speaker quoted tho case of the Wellington drivers, who rejected the proposed agreement with their employers. The Transport Advisory Board took the matter up, and in less than 24 hours protests were pouring in from railwaymen, watersiders, and others, so that the Cabinet gave in and an increase was granted. From this .they might realise that if they came before their employers as. a united labour organistion that fact would make the employers listen to them and agreements might be obtained far above what existed at present.—(Loud applause.) ' Mr E. Langly (president of tho Lyttelton Waterside Workers' Union) drew attention to the great difference between present conditions and those at the end of the 1913 strike, when chaos existed. In that year there were 361 watersiders outside the union, and at the present time there were only 21. The watersiders had now better wages and conditions than any such union had ever had before. ~

Mr George Bruce (secretary of the Wellington Waterside Workers' Union) said that if they all went in together they would all be able to reap the benefits of organised effort. lie urged them to stop filling the public press with arguments over the merits and demerits of various systems, and to confine these dissensions to their own meetings. At present, when one section of the transport workers got an increase in wages the others were- penalised, and this would be obviated by standing together. If trouble came it would affect them all, so they should all stand together. When their own industry had been efficiently organised they could speak to others about general amalgamation, which would make them a factor of which all would- have to take notice. The wat°rs : dors, by sticking together, had their own conditions—("Hear, hear!") —and were the only body which had imnroved their conditions during the war. They had got shorter hours of Inbour and safeguards against accidents. "When the transport workers etood together the same woidd be done for each section of the indiist'-y.—(Applause.) Mr J. Roberts (secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Waterside Workers) stated that prior to the war there were 35,000 men in the five sections of the transport industry. All were doing virtually the same work, but there were diverse, conditions of labour and wages. The cry in the past had been for one big union of all workers, but there were at present unions scattered here and there which did not further their general interests. .There could be no efficient organisation except along the lines of class and industry, and then general amalgamation would bo possible. The first essential was the need of one union for each industry. The " labour aristocracy" were inclined to despise the driver and the watersider, but they were all men who sold their lahour to their employers, and the railwayman had no more control over his job or better conditions than the others. — (Applause.) No watersider would change iobs with the railwayman. Since 1913 the price of commodities had increased from 31" to 35 per cent., and a kind of Arbitration Court had granted a 10 per cent, rise in wages. But the employers' profits had gone-up 50 per cent., which meant that the value of their labour had gone up 50 per cent., while they got a 10 per cent, increase. In neglecting to organise for better things they were not doing justice to their children, who would have to travel the same weary road as they had done. While their children went to work at 14 years the others went to the colleges and universities. The worker should get the very best the social system could give him, and the only way to get their rights was to organise industrially.— (Loud applause.) Dealing with the effect of the improvement and spread of modern machinery, the speaker stated that the worker, who was the real inventor, was suffering while the owners wero reaping all the benefits. If properly organised the workers could control- the job. the machinery, and therefore the industry. They

must grasp their opportunities when the war ended or they would find all tho burden land on their shoulders. No matter what their employment they were all wageearners, and all should unite. —(Loud applause.) A motion that those present should do their best to spread the Transport Federation among their own trade was proposed by a tramwayman, seconded by a railwayman, and carried unanimously.