HULL DOCKS DISPUTE by a lull industrial correspondent
The spirit and intention of the negotiating machinery in the docks industry is that local disputes over manning and piece work rates should be settled locally. Yet, after 15 months of bargaining, a series of firm, spontanoous strikos, and a current ban on overtime, the Hull Port iimployers are rofusing further negotiations over the issues of manning scales and piece rates for unlonding packaged timber, cargoes of which first arrived in Hull in Jamary, 1964.
Packaged, as opposed to looseylumber of course increases the rate of unloading = it is a straightforward technical improvement which increases the docker's productivity. Since the packaging is done in Canada before the lumber is loaded, it is not an improvement for which the dock employers can claim any credit. Yet the omployers began with a demand that the pioce rate applying to lumber cargoes should be halved which produced a wholly unncceptable bonus from the job. Cargoes continued to arrive throughout 1963, and on each occasion bargaining proceeded over the numbor of men, and the piece rate. This occurod in March, July, October and November.
The outcome was that, by Jamary 1964, the gap between the two sides had been narrowed to the difference between a manning scale of 1l or 10 mon. Failure to agreo resultod in a series of unofficial strikes in the first week of February, and tho institution of an unofficial ban on overtime, which is still being operated, and as a result of which, Hull dockers are 10Sing up to a third of normal earnings. The increase’ in productivity (applying the manning scale domanded by the men) result= ing from the packaged cargoes as compared with loose timber, is 88%, The dockers' demands would result in an increase in earnings on theso cargoes of 59%. Most of the Dock imployers being private companies, it is impossible to tell what the oxtra profit will be to the employors the whole subjoct of their costs and turnover is shrouded in mystery, unless and until their books are opened for analysis by the unions, Yet on the facts available, it is quite clear that tho dockers are not claiming the whole of the increase in output in oxtra earnings. Despite this, the employers have said that the mon could strike for one, two, or six months, for oll they cared, They would not shift their final offer. The union has plodded its way along the constitutional path with out any real sense of urgency, whon a much firmer approach early in the negotiations would have boen more fruitful. The problem is now in the hands of the National Joint Council for tho industry, with the added complication that packaged lumber is now being handled in other ports, The Hull dockers have fought with solidarity, despite divided union mombershipe Ono of then drew this conclusion: "Let this dispute sorve as a warning to all workers. Plan the future, be ready for chango, but above all don't allow the bosses to achiove greater output and higher profits at the workers' expense. The dockers won!:+',"