40-HOUR WEEK ON WHARVES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 67, Issue 47, 5 December 1946, Page 4

40-HOUR WEEK ON WHARVES

WATERSIDE UNION’S DECISION PROTEST AT FINDING OF COMMISSION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 4. All major and secondary ports have been directed to institute immediately a 40-hour -week from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, as a protest against the unsatisfactory decision of the Waterfront ' Industry Commission on union claims for a guaranteed daily wage.' This instruction was issued to-day by the national executive of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union after a conference yesterday.

The union’s demands are for a satisfactory decision on the guaranteed daily wage; wage increases to restore the position as laid down by the Court of Arbitration whereby watersiders receive 25 per cent, above the hourly wage of unskilled workers; immediate improvements in accommodation and amenities, which the union says has been an outstanding grievance for many years, and has been pressed continually for the last six years; and the abolition of Saturday engagements. “In addition the claims of the ships’ carpenters’ section of the union for increased wages and a guaranteed daily wage have the full support of the union, and therefore these workers are united in support of the 40hour week,” the statement by the executive continues. “The executive feels that these are the minimum demands of the union, and that a 40hour week shall apply at the ports specified until' reasonable satisfaction has been obtained. Mails, luggage, and motor-cars will be worked as usual on inter-island steamers, and the loading of supplies for our occupation forces in Japan on the vessel Nellore, at present at Lyttelton, will be worked overtime in order that the troops receive the supplies for Christmas.”

SPECIAL MEETING OF COMMISSION “NOTHING WHATEVER * ACHIEVED” (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 4. The Waterfront Industry Commission to-day made an abortive attempt to settle the wages dispute between watersiders and employers. The commission failed to achieve any settlement and adjourned until December 16.' Cabinet intervention is now awaited as a likely move. The chairman of the Waterfront Industry Commission (Mr Justice Ongley) said to-night that the commission simply got nowhere to-day. He called it together for the express purpose of considering the situation which had arisen since the guaranteed wage decision was announced. Neither party, however, was prepared to move ground at all. Nothing whatever could be achieved. The commission therefore adjourned until the next ordinary meeting on December 16. Seven ships carrying cargo, in addition to the ferries, sailed from Wellington. to-day. , SITUATION DISCUSSED BY CABINET (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 4. The waterfront situation was discussed by the Cabinet to-day when it held its first meeting since the General Election. The Ministers met in the morning and again in the afternoon, but no statement of the attitude of the Government to the watersiders’ demands was available at the conclusion of the meeting from the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) or the Minister of Labour (the Hon. J. O’Brien).