The Press WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1948. The Waterfront

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25546, 14 July 1948, Page 4

The Press WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1948. The Waterfront

It is little wonder that the Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan) has become exasperated by the attitude of the leaders of the Waterside Workers’ Union over the Mountpark dispute. Nothing could show greater hypocrisy than the statement of the president of the union (Mr H. Barnes) that “he saw no reason “why the Government should continue to lock out men at the port “ of Auckland, and thus involve the “ country in a huge economic “ waste The plain fact is that the watersiders have themselves created conditions that make it impossible to employ them in any normal way, and are simply exercising their power to defy all authority. The union’s attitude over the order of reference for the proposed tribunal is an impossible one, since it means that the issue in which the dispute originated is to be prejudged in the union’s favour. Mr Barnes’s charge against the Minister of “ continual “provocation” has a quality of tragic humour. The mistake that Mr McLagan and the Government have made is to allow the dispute to go as far as it has without taking much stronger action, and to agree to take the matter out of the hands of a properly constituted authority, the Waterfront Industry Commission, and refer it to another tribunal. ,

The only way out of these interminable and intolerable disputes on the waterfront is to take the strong step necessary—to deregister the union and change the whole basis of waterfront employment, which should be thrown open to all men who are willing to carry it on efficiently. This could be done by the comparatively simple measure of employing all waterfront labour on a co-operative contract basis. By that means the slackers, parasites, and trouble-makers who are throwing the whole industry into turmoil and “ involving the country in a “ huge economic waste ” would be disciplined in the most effective way —by their sober and sensible workmates. The latter can surely see only one end to the present disastrous state of affairs. Such revolutionary action by the Government would have the support cf the great majority of the citizens of the country, and w’ould in the end be supported by the best elements among the workers in * the industry. The Government itself would be saved the intolerable strain of intervening in petty disputes, and would regain a respect which it has lost by trying to treat the subversive elements in the union as reasonable and wellintentioned men. This revolution would not be accomplished without violent opposition. It might even mean longer delays temporarily in the turn-round of ships; but these would be no worse than the insupportable periodical delays now being experienced. By such action the Government could force a showdown that would be generally welcomed, put an end to the dictatorship of intractable union bosses, provide a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, and provide conditions for a permanent improvement in the efficiency of the waterfront industry.