WATERFRONT LABOR.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16604, 6 December 1924, Page 14

WATERFRONT LABOR.

BASIC RATE INCREASED P»V DOMINION AWARD.

IMPORTANT NEW PROVISION

LIMITING .MEMBERSHIP.

WELLINGTON, Inst night. An incroaso of a half-pemny in the basic v ag? of waterside- workers, inul an important addition to the 1 , preference clause calculated to reduce the amount of casual and non-union: work applied for on the waterfront, are the substantial features of the Dominion award affecting the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation, slates the. Dominion. Tn its memorandum the Court said that the principal matters left to the Court for settlement were wages, special cargoes, dirty work, fractional time, coaling work, gear, stop-work meetings, preference and the term of t-he award. "The* returns showed, somewhat unexpectedly, that whether the Court took the men who worked 39 weeks or over. or the men who worked 34 weeks or over, and whether the 10 per cent, highest and lowest paid men we're, or worn, mot, excluded from the computation, the difference was less than a shilling per week; and that the average) weekly number' of hours worked was 27.52 ordinary time and 8.12 overtime, in all 35 and 64 hours." ... On the principle adopted by Mr. Justice Higgins, of the Australian Commonwealth Court of Arbitration, wp have taken 35.64 hours ordinary time at the general cargo rate of 2s 2d per hour, in order to ascertain a basic weekly rate. This omits the overtime rate from the calculation of a weekly wage, even though most of the overtime- is not true ovtH'time; that is, it is time worked outside certain specified hours, instead of time? worked in. excess of 44 hours weekly. On this basis the average is £3 17s 2d per week, which is brought up to £4 9s 8d by the, addition of overtime rates and special cargo rates. This compares favorably with tbevgeneral laborer, who, on the minimum rate of Is 9d per hour earns £3 17s in 44 hours, The Court in 1922. nmved all n basic rate of 2s 2d per hour by adding' 25 percent, to the then current genera] laborers' minimum rate of Is Bjjel per hour. That rate; lias since been inio Is 9d per hour, and wo have now increased) the waterside workers' basic rate to 2s 2|d per hour." ADDITION TO PREFERENCE CLAUSE.

"The most important, change we have made in the award is in the» preference clause. The Court, has always maintained the policy of an open union, but it recognises that tluv waterfront is the placeto which the unemployed of all trades gravitate. The water-side workers" unions accordingly have to carry more than their fair share of the unemployed, and the consequent increase in their membership reduces [lie earning capacity of the greater inuinbetr of their mem'bers. We have endeavored to decasualise waterside work as far as possibles by providing for a, system of limitation of membership of the unions, based on the labor requirements of the different ports. This will not prevent the employment of non-union labor in rush times, but it is hoped that at will diminish the number of the socalled 'fringe' of men who frequent the wharves on the chance of picking np occasional jobs. . . . The other 'matters with which the Court has dealt do not call for spoial remark. Mr. Hiram Hunter submitted reasons for dissenting from the opinions of the majority of the Court. His principal point watt that after making due allowance on the wages returns submitted by the parties, he was of opinion, that on the aveirage the waterside workers who regularly fallowed thei industry for a livelihood vyere employed 32 hours per week,.and it would require an hourly rate of at least 2s sjd per hour (o enable (hem to earn the basic wage. Summary of schedule.

Following are the principal points sr> out, in the schedule :

Hours: Ordinary hours shall he from B a.m. to noon and from I p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday (o Friday (both inclusive).' Ordinatv hours on. Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon.

Rate of pay: For all classes of cargo, including, when*© required by the employer, stacking and loading, and all work in sheds or stores, with noted exceptions, is fixed at 2s 2.U1 per hour. Special rates are fixed in the exceptions noted for repair work (2s lid pen- hour) at Port Chalmers (Is HAd" per hour ordinary, and 2s Old for general overhaul and survey work, 2s 2d for riggers), docking and undocking before 8 «.m. (10s 6d per man), lighter workers at Gisbome (3d per hour above rates). Westport and Greymoufch (ordinary 2s 94d. ordinary overtime 3s 7d. special overtime 4s 4d per hour). 'Die rates of overtime at all ports except' whera otherwise provided is' ordinary overtime (time and a half until 10 p.m.), and! special overtime (double time from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.). The Local Disputes Committee is empowered to deal with conditions at FoxtOri.

Special rates (2d extra, per hour) for handling coal in bulk (except at Greymouth and Westport), live stock, manures, etc., are fixed, also 3d per hourextra, for coke in bulk, trimming, and certain classes of frozen meat on lighters; 4d poV hour for kerosene, benzine, and other similar spirits and oils, and handling frozen meats on ship; 5d for superphos" phates and similar cargoes; and lOd for handling acids and certain gases. These special rates have been considerably increased in the new award. In the old award they ranged from 2d to 5d per hour.

Dirty work: Men engaged in cleaning im holds in which superphosphates, sulphur, guano, bonedusfc, etc., have been earned shall be paid for such work at fh« same rate as men employed in discharging the particular cargo. No payment for dirty work for handling dirtv cargoes elsewhere than in the ship's hold. In the event of exceptional circumstances existing, the union and the employer may agree on special rates for dirtv work. Tlio award also provides that in the event of _ a dispute it shall bo referred to a. committee composed of three representatives of the union at the poi t concerned ami three, representatives of employers. If deemed necessary bv the local union executive, one stop-work meeting rnav, be field each month between 8 arn and' 10 a.m.

The award applies only to casual labor amployed from da v to day or from hour 'to hour, and not weeklv or permanent employees.

Preference : Tho usual preference clause is- inserter] with the addition (hat provision is made by agreement between the Watersidoi Workers' Federation and tlio Employers* Federation to limit ilia membership at any particular port if the mini bet' is deemed to be excessive for the carrying out of ll>« work.

The award is to lake offoci from December 18. 1&24, and to continue in force until December 31, 1926.