NO STRIKE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 926, 29 January 1917, Page 11

NO STRIKE.

WATERSIDE WORKERS. ACTION HINTED AT. WHAT FORM WILL IT TAKE? The failure of the negotiations between the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation and the employers of waterside labour on the question of increased wages suggests the possibility of a serious situation arising. The faets are that the present agreement between the employers and the federation expired on December .'sl, 1916, and following a recent conference of union representatives it was decided to submit proposals amounting approximately to a 25 per cent, increase on present rates of pay. These proposals were duly submitted to the employers, and at a conference which the latter held in Wellington on January 8 a special "committee was appointed to investigate the whole position from the employers' viewpoint. On the '2lth inst. the employers' delegates reassembled in Wellington to receive the report of the special committee, and on the following day they met the representatives of the federation. The employers intimated that they could not take the responsibility" of agreeing to an increase in wages, and suggested that steps should be taken to have the matter brought before the Conciliation Council and Arbitration Court. With this proposal the union delegales refused to concur. With a view to getting an understanding of the feelings of the men, and what the union now contemplates doing, a Sun representative visited the waterfront at Lyttelton this morning. The first information obtained was to the effect that Mr J. Flood, the secretary of the 'union, who has been representing it at the meeting with the employers, had not returned from Wellington. The view put forward by the watersider who volunteered the information was that Government pressure was being brought to bear upon the parlies to reopen negotiations and effect a settlement if possible. Another watersider was of opinion that the watersiders were spoiling for a fight. lie said that the Waterside Workers' Federation had been re-formed, and was being run by "Red. Fed" agitators, and that another industrial upheaval was imminent.

Mr E. Langley, president of the union and acting-secretary, repudiated this view most emphatically. "You can tell the public from mej" he said, "that there is not going to be a strike on the waterfront. ~i We are sick of hearing, these rumours, and you can lake it from me that we are not going to wreck the organisation thai we have built up so laboriously during the: past couple of years."

The Sun representative then remarked that thai beipg so, there were only two alternatives open—• namely, to be content with the existing award, or accept the employers' proposal to refer the dispute to the Arbitration Court. >

Mr Langley dissented from this view. The watersiders, he said, would not accept the present agreement, and would not consent to go lo the Arbitration Court.

The Sun representative pointed out that the union was registered under the Arbitration Act, and it was open to the .employers to cite the union.

Mr Langley replied enigmatically, "The alternatives you have mentioned by no means exhaust the possibilities of union action."

Our representative suggested that Mr Langley should be more explicit. "We have our plans," he said, "and will move before the employers. Mind you, there is going L> be no strike, but we are not going to give bur plans away." Tt was gathered from further conversation that the employers, on their side, desire certain alterations to the present agreement in so far as it relates to overtime. The men by resolution of their union abolished the midnight shift, and do not now work after 9.30 p.m. In the existing agreement, which was arrived at after the before-mentioned resolution of the union was carried, a special clause was embodied pro-, vicling that it should be optional with the men whether they did or did not accept overtime. The employers apparently contend that the men's refusal to work overtime, or rather (he continued operation of the union resolution prohibiting overtime, is a breach of this clause. The men assume-that it is the wish of the employers to get the clause amended, or interpreted as they think it ought to be interpreted, and that consequently they, desire to get the full force of arbitration law behind it.