From a Hull reader, The article below was front page news in this nonth's Humberside Voice, A quite remarkable mobilisation of the port's 3,000 worker's behind a militant unofficial port workers committee, which developed during the byelection campaign, but which had roots going back much further, has now exploded into a lightning strike campaign. With extraordinary flair, the committee has rented the palatial dignified City Hall, (Recent scene of some portentous Labour occasions - Harold Wilson last May Day, Kevin McNamara's triumph last month) and packed out meetings of dockers have resulted. The port employers, as well as everyone else, is bewildered by their success, and the former, predictably furious. From the right wing worthies of the Labour Movement, as well as from employers and Tory press, come stories of plots, conspiracies, blind fnnls of dockers led by blind committee men. No prominent Spoxesman of orthodoxy in the gigantic Labour Election campaign, running whilst the dockers embarked on their militant one day a week strike action, even dreamed of enquiring as to the cause of the movement, or of seeking to draw political lessons for socialists from it. Instead, in varying degrees, the dreary accusations of ‘irresponsible elements! were trotted forth. Yet here, in precise terms, are the facts of the case, It's unlikely to find space nutside the Socialist press, Yet Hull port employers bought a big advert in the Hull Mail to insert a most misleading, alarmist 'message to the public.' This is we think, a worthy replys- One must ask the question- What are the reasons for unrest in the Port of Hull? Firstly it must be realised that the average docker is very wary of his future in view of the Devlin report, modernisation, etc. He will support any organisation or committee, that will spotlight his fears. and draw attention to the many under-ratedpiece work schedules in the port. These token stoppages, he believes ymay prod the Port Employers out of the slow working constitutional procedure they invariably stick ton; thus achieving greater security than at present. Unfortunately the Hull docker sees his wage structure decided many miles away in London by a majority of Union officials of London origin. These national agreements seem to leave no redress or rights to adjust to local requirements, - An example:is the recent Chaistmas Holiday Agreement, which led to many allegations of a sell out by the Union. Hull dockers see their daily minimum guarmtee of £2.1.8, remaining static, until the next national agreement and the only way to earn more is to try the impossible and put more effort into their work to gain extra on piecework, To the dock labourer in Hull, the problem is a simple one, which should not need explaining. He sees the man who does the hard, physical labour in the port continually falling behind others not on piecework; for example := Shipping clerks: £3,18.4. plus 15/- on general cargo ships or £1 on timber ships. Foremen No 1: £4.32. plus average piece work earnings on the ship, Talleymen: £3.2.6. per day, lighterman: £3.2.6. per day. This is a brief summary of how the daily guérantee of £2,.1.8. affects the ordinary dock lahourer, Throughout the years the men who have been very pocrly paid, the non piece work «.' labourers have been at the forefront of any national negotiations; and rightly so. But this has been to the detriment of the piecework in as much as greater increase on the existing time rate has been agreed, (In . herd cash this has not been great). In Hull, mainly a piece work port, only a small proportion of time work is done and therefore it is felt (rightly or wrongly) that the same percentage increase offered ta the time worker over,
Hull dockers! fight continued/
Hull percentages are based on 1947:
1947 Daily Guarantee 19/- 1966 Daily Guarantee 41/8 (19/~ plus
119.3 per cent)
The pieceworker receives, on any rate that has not been adjusted by local
negotiations, the 1947 rate plus 69.575 percent. For example a cargo at the
rate of 1/~ per ton, per man:
1947 19 tons at 1/-..19/- 1966 19 tons at 1/~ plus 69.575 per
(Daily Guarantee is 19/«) cent..32/- (Daily Guarantee is 41/84)
It_can_be seen that the pieceworker must produce about one third more output
to_reach the “Daily Guarantee level than he did in 1947. "These are_the plein
facts of the case. Is_the docker the villain of the piece? “Or is it the
private employer whose profits are hidden under a cloak of secrecy?