GOVERNMENT SUSPENDS ORDERS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXV, Issue 14259, 7 January 1947, Page 3

GOVERNMENT SUSPENDS ORDERS

WATERFRONT LABOUR

CRISIS

Appeal By Federation

Workers’ Leaders Silent

Wellington, Jan. 6

As the time set in the ultimatum by the Prime Minister, Mr Eraser, expired to-day without' the watersiders resuming normal work, an order suspending most of the orders, decisions, and directions of tne Waterfront Industry Commission was issued to-night. The order, which affects all the main ports in New Zealand, comes into effect to-morrow. * The principal effect of this order will be to suspend previous orders prescribing wages and conditions of employment and it will mean the abandonment of the co-operative contracting system and numerous other improvements in conditions. Its issue to-night marked another day of intense political activity, during which the Prime Minister, who is on holiday in the. South Island, spoke at least three times by telephone to the Minister of Finance, Mr Nash. Once again the next move must come from the watersidprs. There are suggestions that the major ports, particularly Auckland and Wellington, .may retaliate with go-slow tactics during the next few days. Although. they were denied to-night by the Commissioner of Police, Mr J. Cummings, there are persistent reports that all police leave has been cancelled. The leaders of the watersiders are still silent.

The Minister of Labour, Mr A. McLaglan, said that he deeply regretted having to announce that the Prime Minister’s offer to the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union to facilitate an immediate discussion of the matters in dispute provided normal work was resumed on the waterfront had not been accepted. The Minister expressed the hope that an early resumption of normal hours of work would still take place so that the points in dispute could be examined and a determination made as to what should be done in that connection. The secretary of the Federation of Labour, Mr K. Baxter, said to-night that a meeting of the national executive and representatives from seven affiliated bodies who requested that the meeting be held to-day unanimously carried a resolution endorsing the statement by the federation, dated December 24, recommending that the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union resume normal work and hand the dispute over immediately to the federation with a view to bringing about a satisfactory settlement.

“I am in the bath and I have no comment to make,” said Mr H. Barnes, national president of the New Zealand Waterside ‘Workers’ Union, when a telephone call was made to his house at 10 o’clock last night for his comments on the broadcast statements of the Minister of Labour, Mr McLagan, and the secretary of the. Federation of Labour, Mr K. Baxter. Mrs Barnes, who answered the telephone, said they had listened to the broadcasts.