MORE PAY WANTED.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2224, 23 June 1908, Page 2

MORE PAY WANTED.

AN UNSATISFACTORY AWARD

LIGHTERMEN REFUSE WORK

During the recent sittings of the Arbitration Court in Gisborne, the Waterside Workers Union applied for a new award. The chief cause of dispute was the rate of pay for lightering frozen sheep and lambs, which, previous to the new award that canid into force yesterday, was paid for at the rate of sixpence per 100 carcases. To the disappointment of tlio Union the new award reduced the rate from . 6d per 100 carcases of mutton to cd, and from 6d per 100 carcases of . iamb to 3jd- This- meant that .upon a 1300 bargo load the men would only mako 5s 5d instead of 6s 6d for mutton and 3s for lambs. The award, however, gave general cargo handlers an increase of 2d jier hour. As soon as the result of the appeal to tlie Arbitration Court became known, the Union expressed dissatis.faction at the award, and members discussed ‘ the subject among them- .. selves. The usual call was made for labor yesterday morning to work tlie Shaw SaviH and Albion steamer Karamea, and the Union men, usually ' available, informed Captain Soweli, Marino Superintendent for . the Gisborne Sheepfarmers’ Freezing Company, that they had more •• payablo work to go to, and were notprepared to accept tlio work at the award rate. Captain Sowell then called other labor, which happened to.be plentiful, . and the loading proceeded without' any interruption. Members of the Union were, however, willing to ac-. cept the- increase allowed by tlio award for working general cargo; but refused to submit to the reduced rato allowed ior their labor by the new award for lightering frozen meat. Speaking to a “Times” reporter upon the subject, Mr. Jones, works manager for tlie Gisborne Skoopfarmers Freezing C’o., explained that the trouble was not what could be termed a strike, nor did it resemble a strike. Hie .men only got casual work, for w ueh they received very good pay ii " lasted, a man, being 1,1 ,, earn a high rate-of pay, but il there was no work at loading the men were free to accept 'work elsewhere. so that if tliev refused to aceept work offered by the company on y their stjitemen-t that thev had other work they were free agents, “I do not. know whether the men working to-day are Union men or not ; but as the award allows •us to employ aiiv labor. , provided we pay the rates allowed by the award, I don’t ask the men any questions, but tell them they would he paid award rates,” said Mr Jones. *

■ i ,U'tirii-r .v-aIJ, general manager for tiio ■Sheepfarniers Comnaiiv. told a “Times” reporter that If the men had been Amt to loading tlie Karamea or the Star, of New Zealand which-’ aro lying in the bay. last week, the rato of pay allowed by the old award would have been paid for the ivliolo loading, but as it was impossible to work tlio steamers last week, a start was made yesterday morning, under the rates allowed by tbo new award. u Of course as the men are only casual hands I have no call over their labor,” explained Mi'. Oederivall, “and if they can get better pay at. other work they cannot ho blamed for accepting it and likewise in the absence of the regular workmen I cannot be blamed, for putting on the best labor offering and adhering to the award which L intend to do in every way, both as regards the extra rate for general cawm and the reduction for handling-frozen -sheep and lamb. The .trouble is not vcvere, and I am at no inconvenience, t here is plenty, of labor available, aDd J don t anticipate any serious a'ttempt or the members to defy the terms of the award.”

On the other hand the men declare that the now rates are not sufficient for their labor. They lounged about the wharves m groups all day, though they stated they had more remunerarive work to go to. The refusal to work, they state, was not organised by the Union. The affair, they added, was not a Union one. They told the employers last -Friday, that it would not pay them to work under 'the new rates, and consequently, they contended, there was no breach. In reference to the rate of pay allowed by the now award, it might bo stated that the rate is considerably in increase of that allowed in Napier, where the Fanny, which carries 1200 carcases, and lighters of the same capacity, are worked for 6s, which covers both loading at the wharf and discharging; at the ship’s side. Under the new Gisborne award the rate for loading a lighten:carrying 1200 sheep is os, with-; another os for discharging or 4s more than allowed to the Napier Union, and the time occupied is the same. It was-shown in tke Arbitration Court that under the award previously in force the lightermen vvero able to earn good wages; one man earned £l9l during one year, another £213, and another £216 14s 2d. while tlio average earnings on meat loading was 3s per hour, and they were paid 2s id per lionf for overtime on general cargo loading, and 2s 8d for ■Sunday work. .

The new award contains no preference clause. During the .hearing of the dispute at the sifting of the Arbitration Court, Mr. 11. % Way, on behalf of the Union, asked that a preference clause be inserted in the award In considering the applica- • turn the Court took exception to the following rule;—“The Union shall 1 consist of' aii unlimited number of employees being wharf laborers, stevedoies, or lightermen,” and a clause was inserted in the award which reads a ? f, r-riw" 1 / i° long as the rules of tile union shall permit any person oi good character to become a member of the’.Union-upon-payment of an entrance fee not exceeding 2s 6d, then and in such ease thereafter .’the employers shall employ members of tbo Union in preference to non-members, provided there are members of the Union equally qualified with nonmembers to perform the particular work, and are ready and willing to undertake it.” It will therefore bo seen that before tho Union can claim. • preference for its members it will need to alter its rule so as to include “any person of good character,” independent of any occupation lie might follow. So far the Gisborne Sheepfurmers breezing Company is alone affected by the present refusal of the men to work.