MOUNTPARK DISPUTE

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25548, 16 July 1948, Page 8

MOUNTPARK DISPUTE

Reference Terms Agreed On WORK TO START AT AUCKLAND (P.A.) WELLINGTON. July 15. Protracted efforts by the Federation of Labour to bring the parties to the Mountpark dispute to common ground for the hearing before a special tribunal have been successful. At 11.30 a.m. to-day a five-point order of reference was signed as agreed upon by representatives of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, the Waterfront Employers’ Association, and the Waterfront Industry Commission. The parties signed a document signifying their agreement to and acceptance of the order of reference formulated at discussions yesterday and to-day. their recognition of the tribunal’s decision as binding, and their readiness to proceed within seven days to argument before the tribunal, or as soon thereafter as the chairman should find generally convenient. •Pending the tribunal’s deliberations work in Auckland will resume on all ships, except the Mountpark. Two hatches on the Broompark are to be worked.

In the presence of the secretary (Mr K. McL. Baxter) and the vice-presi-dent (Mr F. P. Walsh) of the Federation of Labour, the order of reference was discussed by Messrs H. Barnes, president, and T. Hill, secretary for the waterside workers, Mr T. P. Cleary, counsel for the Waterfront Industry Commission, and Mr C. Hamer, counsel for the Waterfront Employers’ Association. It was stated after the agreement had been reached that points in the order of reference were approached from neutral ground allowing anything relevant to the dispute to be raised. Statement by Minister

“The parties have agreed to meet before a tribunal by July 22, that is a week from to-day, or as soon thereafter as the tribunal is ready to proceed,” said the Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan) this afternoon. He explained that a Supreme Court Judge might not be available by July 22. “All the parties to the dispute have undertaken in writing to accept and abide by the decision of the tribunal,” said Mr McLagan. “The terms of reference cover the matters set out in the terms of reference proposed by the Government, the only material variation being that the dispute over the Broompark is also included. “I wish to express the Government’s pleasure that its proposals for settlement of the dispute by a tribunal with an agreed order of reference have been accepted and that the hold-up of work in Auckland has ended. “As soon as this agreement was reached, the Waterfront Industry Commission’s Auckland branch was instructed to prepare an engagement board for a commencement of work at 1 p.m. to-day. All ships except the Mountpark will resume, it having been agreed in accordance with the Povernment’s earlier offer that this ship will not resume pending the tribunal’s decision. “I would like to express the Government’s thanks to the national executive of the Federation of Labour for the helpful part it has played in negotiations for a settlement.” BREACH OF FAITH ALLEGED DELAYED START AT AUCKLAND VIEWS OF MR BARNES <P.A.) WELLINGTON. July 15. “In spite of the fact that this morn--Ing agreement on an order of reference for the Mouhtpark dispute was reached by the parties concemd, members of the Auckland branch of the Waterside Workers’ Union were again locked out to-day,’’ said the national president (Mr H. Barnes). He said all parties to the negotiations had agreed that immediately the order of reference was agreed upon work would resume in the port of Auckland. Although the commission’s office in Auckland was immediately advised of this morning’s final agreement, no engagements were made, and, Auckland men reporting for work were again locked out, he. said.

“The union is compelled to take a grave view of this situation,’’ said Mr Barnes. “We feel this is one of the many gross breaches of faith to which we have been subjected by the commission. We hope the agreement is honoured by to-morrow and. that Auckland members are permitted to resume normal work. “Should Auckland members be subjected to a further breach of faith tomorrow, the executive of the union will b*e immediately summoned to consider appropriate action.”

ACTION. OF UNION OFFICER MEN SENT HOME AT AUCKLAND JUDGE DALGLISH REPLIES TO MR BARNES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 15. Nothing could be further from the truth than the claim by Mr H. Barnes that when members of the Auckland branch reported for work after the monthly stop-work meeting to-day they found themselves locked out, said the chairman of the Waterfront Industry Commission (Judge Dalglish) to-night. “Mr Barnes should know very well that the men were sent home by his own union’s bureau officer and not by any direction of the commission,” he added. For several days the staff ftf the Labour Engagement Bureau at Auckland had been standing by available to work throughout the night if necessary to prepare engagement boards for waterside workers at Auckland as soon as agreement was reached on the tribunal, said Judge Dalglish. The agreement on the order of reference and the necessary undertakings to accept the finding oi the tribunal in the Mountpark dispute were not signed until about 11.15 a.m. today, and the fact that the agreement had been reached was not communicated to the union at Auckland or to the Waterfront Industry Commission’s officers at Auckland until after the Auckland stop-work meeting this morning had broken up. Men Told to Go Home While the bureau staff was preparing engagement boards, the union’s bureau officer came into the bureau at about 11.28 a.m. and, after telephoning the secretary of the union, he announced to the men over the loudspeaker that men required for priority jobs and for replacements for the day should lift their discs, but that the rest of the men should go home as there was no use their waiting about. “It will thus be seen that an officer ©f the union instructed the men to go home only a few minutes after the agreement was signed on the order ot j reference.” said Judge Dalglish. “I am Informed that a further stop- 1 work meeting of the union will be ' held to-morrow morning on the day after a meeting which ’asted approximately three hours. Does Mr Barnes expect the public to believe that the union is not holding up the work of the port?"