UNION FAILS TO ATTEND COURT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 45, 3 December 1949, Page 2

UNION FAILS TO ATTEND COURT

INCREASED WAGES ' ALLOWED (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 2. The failure of the Portland Cement Workers’ Union (respondent in a claim by'Wilson’s N.Z.) Portland Cement, Ltd., for a new award) to appear before the Arbitration Court was referred to by Mr Justice Tvrtdall in a memorandum to the award issued on Thursday. ’ The award granted an increase of lid an hour or 5s a week, retrospective to February 9, 1949, in the minimum rates for all workers. His Honour stated that there was no appearance of any representative of the union either on November 22 (when fixtures were made) or on November 25 (when the case was heard). In addition to the normal notification by advertisement in the daily press, the union -was advised by the Clerk of Awards of, the date for making a fixture and by the Registrar of the Court of the date of the hearing of the dispute. , “No communication whatsoever showing any cause for failure to attend or be represented has been received by the Court or its officers from the respondent party,” said the memorandum. “The representative of the applicant was unable- to furnish the Court with any information. The Court therefore decided to proceed with the hearing in accordance with the power vested in it by the .Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act.”

In addition to the wages increase, several changes were made in the award, provisions other than wages being retrospective to last Thursday.