CONFERENCE ASKED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 44, 21 February 1940, Page 10

CONFERENCE ASKED.

STATEMENT FOR UNION. •'', REPLY TO MR. BENNETT. ~ , f (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday. Replying to Mr. W. H. Bennett, the secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Union, Mr. J. Roberts, reiterated that he did not want to enter a controversy on the dispute over the delay in obtaining an award. Mr. Roberts said the workers had asked for a conference, but the employers had refused. Meetings of a conciliation council were abortive.' The Arbitration Court was jointly asked for a date for a hearing, but the Court refused to grant a date until the parties had arrived at a further measure of agreement. A further conciliation council meeting was held and some agreement reached between the parties. As the Court was not then functioning the workers asked the employers several times to meet them, but they refused. The Minister of Labour, the Hop. P. C. Webb, arranged a conference in December. The employer* refused to discuss wages, but desired to refer the question to the Court. They had submitted proposals which would cover only 20 per cent of the men. V Regarding the recent Auckland-dispute over the stowing of cargo, Mr, Roberts repeated that the men did not take direct action. They asked the employer to carry on the work in the same manner as was done at other ports. '"The employer refused and, although it was true to say that the men were not dismissed, it was also true that the employer said: ''Well, you are getting no wages," which to Mr. Roberts meant dismissal. Official reports: received at the head office of tfee lufion ir«r# to the effect tnafc/if Wellington h*d not interfered the dispute would have been adjusted in Auckland without difficulty.