DUTIES OF DONKEYMEN

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19441, 29 October 1925, Page 7

DUTIES OF DONKEYMEN

POSITION ON COASTAL STEAMERS ACTION AGAINST SEAMEN'S FEDERATION. PROSECUTION BY LABOUR DEPARTMENT. [Per Press Association.] AUCKLAND, Oct. 28. The trouble which has arisen over the duties of don keymen on coastal steamers was brought to tho jurisdiction of the Magistrate’s Court to-day, when the Labour 'Department (Mr C. A. Bcrendsen) claimed a penalty of £2OO from the Seamen’s Federation of New Zealand (Mr W. T. Young) on a charge of having incited or instigated an unlawful strike. The Department further claimed £lOO penalties for alleged breach of award aud for having taken proceedings with intent to defeat certain provisions in the ward. The case was heard before Mr E. C. Cutten, S.M. Owing to an objection by Mr Young, the. hearing of similar charges against Charles Bertie Fittes and himself was deferred until the conclusion of the main ease.

Mr Bcrendsen said the case arose from a dispute over the duties of donkeymen and firemen performing the duties of donkeymcn. It had been customary for donkeymen to perform certain work in connection with valves on shipboard. The award provided that when in port donkeymcn or firemen keeping steam might be called on to work for any consecutive eight hours, and that those workers should look after engines and auxiliaries. Tho union circularised its members, advising them that the Executive Council had considered the matter of members working valves, and it had decided that the men were no longer to work valves. Thus the Executive Council definitely advised members of the union to ignore the provisions of the award. The workers on certain ships had ceased to operate valves, and some had gone further, and refused to do certain other work.

William Thomas Young, General Secretary of the Seamen’s Federation, called by the prosecution, said ho wrote the circular. The point was that the working of valves was dangerous. Ho suggested that the working of machinery appertaining to the engine department was not the business of an uncertificated man. The circular was intended to operate only in the engine department. Charles Bertie Fittes, General President. of the Federation, was also called by the prosecution. He said the decision to issue the circular was made on the general principles of the preservation of life and limb. There was not tho same danger with winches. I Maurice Patterson, Assistant. Marin© I Superintendent of the Northern Steam'ship Co., said that a man on the Clans- | man first refused to open valves or I touch machinery in the engineroom. Tho next ship affected was the Waipu, and a definite order to open a certain valve was refused by two men. Pra> tically all the ships were affected after that. He did not think there was anj danger in operating engineroom valveg There was practically no difference be tween engineroom and winch valves. Cross-examined, witness said he took the words “looking after” in the awarc| to mean operating. He had nevef been authorised to tell firemen to shut off and start again, but it was the customary procedure. John Darling Douglas, formerly engineer of the Glenelg, said two firemengreasers advised him that they could not carry out their customary duties. In reply to Air Young, witness said he took the words “looking after” to mean general attention on the part of firemen or donkeymcn*. Alfred Sneyd, engineer of the Waipu, also gave evidence of the refuse! of his firemen-greasers to work valves. It was impossible for witness to do tho whole of the work himself, and he refused to go to sea under those conditions. On a later occasion the men again refused, but the ship sailed and witness worked the valves. Air Young: “Have you received a citation from the Labour Department for a breach of article .six?” —“No, I have not.” Air Young: “It may be a pleasure in store for you.” Further evidence was given by the engineers of tho Rimu, Manaia and Wakatcrc regarding tho refusal of men to do valves work. The mon had performed all other duties except that greasers had avoided answering the telegraph. It had been the general practice for donkeymcn to do the. valve work in ports, and greasing while at sea. The case will be resumed to-morrow.