HOLD-UP ON THE WATERFRONT

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15365, 9 November 1920, Page 3

HOLD-UP ON THE WATERFRONT

WORK SUSPECT. ED TO-DAY. DIfJP"IE C-V2r. DT.ICTIAr.-lIN.-, C^ _.■..__._ ui„.. Thcio was a coinpl.tt LoiJ-up on the waterfront to-day, when all work on the wharves affecting the waterside workers was Gucpended. The dispute aroce over the discharging of the aux. schooner Pairburn, loaded with cement. Briefly, the waterside workers demanded additional .men. The matter was referred to the Disputes Committee oi" tho port. Tlie shipowners' representatives declined to conaider the question until the watersiders concerned had resumed work cr. the Fr.irburn. This morning no labor w„_ forthcoming for the Fairburn, and the chipping companies therefore decided to engage no labor for tbe port until the discharging of the Fairburn is resumed, and the dispute is dealt with by the Disputes Committee in accordance with the waterside workers' agreement povorning the working of tho port. HOW THE DISPUTE AROSE. Details of how the dispute arose wore communicated in the following official statement to a Herald representative today. Tlie auxiliary schooner Fairburn arrived at Gisborno on Friday last with a cargo of cement. Discharging operations were commenced at 1 p.m., and were carried on until 5 p.m. Five men were employed, comprising four waterside workers and one sailor belonging to the crew. Two other sailors off the. ship were away on holiday. On Saturday discharging opera lions wore resumed, and were carried on by a. gang of seven men, comprising four waterside workers and three sailors (the two sailors referred to being back at work again). Yesterday (Monday) a stop-work meeting was held for about an hour, from 8 to 9 a.m. Meanwhile unloading operations were carried on by the ship's crew. Subsequently the waterside workers intimated that they declined to resume work unless two additional men were employed. The four waterside workers previously employed -came to the ship's side, but declined to turn to unless the request for the two additional men was acceeded to, making a total gang of nine men (six watersiders and the three sailormen). The company's representatives considered the demand unreasonable. The watersiders were asking for four men on the <vharf, a demand for man for man with the number in the hold, the remaining man on deck handling the slings in the usual way. The work on the wharf (for wlr'ch two men were provided) was regarded by the company's officers as a* one-man iob, and consequently three men would be practically looking on while one man worked. ■ SHIPPING COMPANY'S FIRM ATTITUDE. Captain J. W. H. Holmes, marine superintendent for the Gisborne Sheepfarmers' Frozen Meat and Mercantile Co., declined to accede tb the request, and the yratersiders thereupon refused to resume work on the Fairburn.

Captain Holmes subsequently intimated to the president and secretary of the union, in the presence of the men, that if the watersiders resumed work on the Fairburn he would agree to the matter being placed before the Disputes Committee of the port, in accordance with the agreement, and that if the Disputes Committee decided in favor of the employment of the two additional men he would ibide by that decision. But the four men must resume work first. The union officials, our representative was informed, declined to have anything to do with this proposal or to advise the men what to do. Late yesterday afternoon the company consented to a meeting of the Disputes Committee, which was called at the instance of Mr Whiting, representative of 'he Labor Department. The shipping representatives intimated that they must decline to discuss the dispute until the watersiders resumed work on v tho. Fairburn. Tho union representatives, however, would not consent, lo advise the men to resume work pending a decision and a dendlock occurred. QUESTION OF PRINCIPLE.

This morning the watersiders assembled at the wharf as usual and met in ihe watersiders* shed. The. captain called for four mem No labor, however, whs forthronvng for the Fairburn. Subseouently »he men left the wharf, and 1 most, of them went home.

Meanwhile the shipping companies affirmed the principle that tho waterside workers must resume work on the Fnirbnm before the work on this or any other vessel in the port is undertaken — a principle wliicli wns strictly .-adhered to in -on^ection with 'the recent hold-up on the Wellington waterfront. No labor wns consequently 'engaged for the lighter Tui, berthed nt the wharf with general cargo from the Mararoa. The discharging of th'is cargo, which includes much necessary sugar for Gisliomer was consequently held up to-day. Tho Ripnle was due this afternoon, but unless the ,v >en resume work on the*' Fairburn the Richardson steamer will not be worked. REGARDING THE CREW. The Fairburn's crew, .as mentioned above, carried on the unloading of the vessel yesterday morning while the stopwork meeting was in progress; The company affirms that it is quite within its rights tO work the Fairburn with its own J crew, which was in fact done last trip. Captain Holmes states that late yesterday afternoon he was approached by the men's representatives, and was informed the company would be allowed to complete the discharging of the Fairburn with the ship's crew. Captain Holmes intimated that the work having been commenced, the unloading must be finished by the men on the job. ABOUT THE DRIVERS. It is alleged that yesterday morning the sailors were persuaded not to go on with discharging operations of th© Fairburn, also that the carriers were urged not to handle the Fairburn's cargo if worked by the crew. ' In this latter connection Messrs Clare and Clare stated to our representative that while the unloading with the ship's crew was in progress, Mr D. W. Coleman, secretary of the Drivers' Union, came and informed him that the carters were refusing to work the Fairburn's cargo, and that the firm had better knock them off until the dispute was settled — that as a matter of fact the men were knocking off. The men were then working, and this was the first communication he had had on the subject. Tlie stoppage of unloading, however, brought the carting operations to a standstill. Another new point which Messrs Clare and Clare state was .raised yesterday has an important bearing on the waterfront conditions. Hitherto it has always been the custom for the carrier- .on a cart to nssisfc and to trim their own cart. Yesterday, however, the men were told this was a watersiders' job, and that they were there to attend to the house's head. Pre- ! viously the carters had always been on j the dray, and in fact they received an extra 6d per load for what was termed { "dirt money" in respect of lime and cement, as per schedule in their agreement. Yesterday the carters were told by the watersiders not to touch the slings. WHAT THE MEN ARE ASKING. An explicit statement was officially made to our "representative respecting the ! watersiders' demands. This is best explained by detailing the procedure : The cement is loaded into "chain" slings, six bags to the sling. Four men in the hold were doing this. The ' sling is hauled out, and ewung over the J wharf with the derrick and loaded direct I into the dray or cart. The sling is hove. \ out with the winch by a rope attached j to the hook of the sling. There is thus I no manual hnuling ovor on to- the cart on the wharf. The bull rope is controlled by the man on deck (a seaman, the fifth man). Twcx other watersiders on the wharf receive the sling and guide ifc into th© cart ns it is lowered — apart from the driver of the cart. This makes seven men, apart from the driver. What the men are asking for Is two additional watersiders on the wharf — making four men to receive and deposit the sling as ifc is lowered into tho cart. Tin's, ifc is claimed by the company, is really a one man's job, and the men when "tackled" on the point as to how the additional men wore to be employed, explained that the men. on the wharf would take ii, in spells. The procedure with respect to eonl is that five men are employed in the hold, there is a bull rope man, and two men only aro on tho wharf tipping into the carts. Tho attention of our representative was called to a clause in the award on page 55, which reads: "The number of men in gangs is to be left to the discretion of the employers as hitherto, excepting"— (the exceptions apply to meat loading, and do not affecfc the present issue). MEETING OF SHIPOWNERS' COMMITTEE. A meeting of the local ship-owners' committee was held at the Employers' Association's rooms this morning, when the position on the waterfront was reviewed. It was decided that the men employed on the Fairburn must resume work before any further labor on the

wat.rfrcnt is engaged- This intimation 'v.ts i-.unf. conveyed to the men this af.-rnocn, v.'.'th. a request that the disu*o -hr.-u.d bo dealt with in accordance with the procedure laid dj\vn in the -i.vDi'.'. which provides •*.-* follows:— /lau:7 ','<: Local committee-— The essence •. ihi_ -igrecm -'in boing that tho worl; of th. t-in.loy.r shall always "proceed in the customary manner, and shall not on any account whatsoever be impeded, it i_ provided that if any dispute or difierence shall arise between the parties bound by This aETeement or any df these, whether as to Its construction or meaning, or as to any other matter whatever arising out of or connected therewith, every such dispute or difference, as the same shall arise, shall be referred to a committee, to be composed of three reprc3entative;. of the union at the port ! concerned and three representatives of the employer."-, for *helr decision. The decision of the majority of the committee ••hall be binding, and if no decision is arrived at, then the matter shall be referred to the N.Z. Waterside Workers' Federation and to a committee of three employers, and if they are unable to arrive at a decision, either party may appeal to the Court of Arbiirat'on.

The m.'itter was communicated to the •nitili'V^rs* representatives at Wellington this afternoon, with a request that the question should be taken up with the •.Waterside Workers* federation at Wellington, the letter being as follows:—

"The Secretary, Gisborne Waterside Workers' Industrial Union of Workers, Gisborne.— Dear Sir, — A.S. Fairburn: in connection with the dispute that has arisen on this vessel regarding the number of men to be employed on the whart discharging cement into carts, we have to officially advise you that the four men engaged must resume work on this vessel, when the matter in dispute will b? referred to the Disputes Committee for their consideration. Until this is done, we regret to have to advise you that at a meeting of the employers held this morning, it was decided that work will not be resumed on the waterfront until such time as the discharging of the Fairburn is resumed. We shall be glad if you will arrange for the men to resume work, when the matter can be officially considered — Yours faithfully, for the Disputes Committee, (Sgd.) w. h'. YVestbrooke." WHAT THB MEN SAY. Interviewed at 1 o'clock to-day, Mr H. McErlain, secretary of the local Waterside Workers' Union, stated to a Herald representative that as far as the men were concerned it was practically a lock-out. The captain of the Fairburn had promised the men two additional men for the gang for Monday morning. These were not forthcoming. The position was considered by the four watersiders concerned, and they declined to. go on without the additional men promised. The union was •iot concerned. It was a matter concerning four men. The rank and file of the waterside workers were quite prepared to carry on and work any other boat. They had communicated with their headquarters at Wellington on tho subject, and had been advised to work any other boat excepting the Fairburn, and not to hold up any other boats under any consideration. The men, he added, were all prepared to work. They had assembled this morning, and were ready to work any lighters offering or anything else, but were not called. Pointing to the large gathering of watersiders, he said they were waiting for engagement for the Ripple. The Ripple had been on the board up till about 10 o'clock, but it was then rubbed off. The men would wait till 1.45 p.m., and would then go home. They would be ready again for the next call at 4.45 p.m.

Then the whole question boils down to this, that it is a question between the captain and the four watersiders as to ihis promise of two additional men? --■

The union secretary concurred, adding that it was a case of seven or eight to one — ihat they could produce seven or eight- witnesses who heard the promise given. The men. he repeated, were offering for work, and it amounted to a lockout. Financially, the dispute involved about three hours' work, or about 15s to finish tiie, job on the. Fairburn. The four men were involved in the dispute, not the union, he repeated. .., "I hope you will make ( it perfectly clear why ihe work is stopped." added Mr. McErlatn. "The men are here waiting for the Ripple." At this stage 'tlie union secretary broke > off, remarking fhat was all he had to say. There was nothing else he wished to-, ado.

Captain Holmes, marine superintendent, states that the captain of the Fairburn flatly denies that any such promise w.„ m;>fi e to the men, nn<i adds' that he publicly denied this before the men/ on the wharf yesierday morning^ -, -.-