WANGANELLA TRIBUNAL

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25206, 10 June 1947, Page 8

WANGANELLA TRIBUNAL

DECISION LEFT TO CHAIRMAN (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 9. No agreement was reached by representatives of the employers and workers when the strikes and lock-outs tribunal on the Wanganella dispute met to-day after having considered evidence on the workers’ claims for more money. The dispute thus became a matter for the decision of the chairman of the tribunal, the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr S. Ritchie- He is expected to give his decision on Wednesday or Thursday. The workers were members of the Wellington Boilermakers’ and Metal Workers’ Union, and the Wellington branch of the New Zealand Engineering Workers’ Union. They claimed 17s 6d hourly for all time spent on the Wanganella when the ship was on the reef, including sleeping time. The wage paid by the employers, William Cable and Company, Ltd., was 17s 6d hourly for actual working time. The representatives of the employers on the tribunal were Messrs G. C. Camp, J. Cable, and K. A. Belford, and the workers’ representatives were Messrs C. G. Caswell, J. Neale, and A. C. Dellaway. Three submissions were made by the employers’ advocate, Mr S. G. Stephenson, in opposition to the workers’ demands. He contended that a valid agreement had been reached between the employers and the workers before work started on the ship, and thus the rate paid could not be altered; that the wage oaid was a reasonable one; and that the claim should be rejected on principle. It is understood that the chairman to-day indicated his view that there was no proper agreement reached by the employers with the workers, as required by the award, when the wage was fixed-