HOLIDAY WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 70, 23 March 1940, Page 11

HOLIDAY WORK.

REQUEST DECLINED.

POSITION ON WATERFRONT.

POWERS OF CONTROLLER,

No work will be done on the Auckland waterfront on Monday. A request was made to the Auckland branch of the Waterside Workers' Union to handle cargoes on three overseas ships on Easter Monday but it has declined to comply with it as no settlement has been reached in a dispute of more than a year's standing between shipowners and the union, on the question of work on holidavs.

.Alter the shipowners' request had hecii made, the controller of the waterfront at Auckland, Mr. R, E. Price .ailed representatives of the Shipownc.V Federation and the union together cm Thursday, hut no action was "taken lathe meeting.

Subsequently, Mr. Price said that as the current awards provided that nnv work on holidays must bo by arrangement between the union and employers concerned, and, as the regulations administered by him as controller did not confer upon him powers to alter or vary an award in any way, he had no jurisdiction to cic-.uaml that the men Khouid work on Easter Monday. He had learned from Thursday's meeting that holiday

Mr. W. J. Cuthbort. work was the subject of a long-standing dispute which bad been referred to the national disputes committee a long time ago. No decision had yet been given. In the circumstances he was unable to enforce Easter Monday work on the three vessels.

The fact that until the end of 103S the men of the Auckland Union had given good co-operation in working on holidays, pay being on a double-time basis, was mentioned by a representative of the employers. During a .holiday at.the end of that year non-unionists were given work after union labour had declined. A dispute bad then arisen and had not yet been settled.

The secretary of the Waterside Workers' Union", Mr. W. ,7. Cuthbcrt. said this morning that the employers' statement was correct up to a. point. In 103S, Christmas Eve was observed on a Friday. The union had decided to knock - off at 5 o'clock to enable its members to do their shopping on the Friday, and to cease work at noon on the actual Christmas Eve. The employers had waited <m the union, pointing out that a mail bo.it urgently required to be unloaded, and the union then agreed to carry out the terms of tho award and work till 10 o'clock on the Friday and 5 o'clock on the Saturday. Having conceded the employers this much, the union did not feel disposed to work on the Boxing Day. Notwithstanding the unionists' willingness to co-operate with them on the Friday and . Saturday, one company engaged a number of non-union men to work their particular ship on Boxing Day, nnd that was the basis of the axisting dispute.