"GIVING FINE SERVICE”

Southland Times, Issue 24158, 21 June 1940, Page 8

"GIVING FINE SERVICE”

Workers On N.Z Waterfront SPIRITED DEFENCE BY MR WEBB (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, June 20. A spirited defence of the waterside workers was made in the House this evening by the Minister of Labour (the I Hon. P. C. Webb). He said he had heard about these workers earning £lO a week, but nothing was said about, the men who went months without earning 10/-. The waterside worker was giving a fine service to the Dominion and the country was greatly indebted to him. Taking their earnings throughout the year they were the poorest paid of the higher class of skilled labourers of the Dominion. They were paid 2/10 an hour. Mr W. S. Goosman (Nat., Waikato): Plus.

The Minister said there was no plus about it. The rate was fixed by agreement. It had been 2/8 an hour when the skilled workman in other industry was receiving 2/10J-. In Australia the waterside worker received 2/10 i an hour, which-was 2d to 4d above the skilled rate. Mr Webb said that the work done in the London docks was paid for on a piece-work basis. It worked out at 4/- an hour for the discharge of buter from New Zealand and 3/8 for cheese. Wool cargoes worked out at 3/111 an hour, chilled beef 5/1 |, general cargo 5/8, and apples 8/9. Mr Webb said that as far back as he could remember the members on the

Opposition side of the House had condemned the waterside workers on the ground that they did not give good return for the money they received. Under the old system the incentive was to loaf and to hang the ship up to get more money. The Labour Government, on the other hand, said that they desired to give the men an incentive to get the ships turned around as quickly as possible without the loss of income and had established a co-operative contract system. Better results to the extent of 40 per cent, had resulted. Boats had been turned around in record time. He ventured to say that with the arrangements now made every boat sailing to Britain with produce from New Zealand would be loaded on the cooperative contract system. He contended that the new system would be a solution to the vexed problem that had cursed the waterfront in New Zealand for years. 1