CABINET DISCUSSES WATERFRONT

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26396, 14 April 1951, Page 6

CABINET DISCUSSES WATERFRONT

Plans To Be Announced Later ’t NO OFFICIAL APPROACH TO GOVERNMENT REPORTED • 'AV ■■ ' ' : 1 <’ , , , , From Our Own Reporter WELLINGTON, April 13. A special meeting of the Cabinet was held this afternoon to discuss the immediate steps to be taken to meet the waterfront crisis. Beyond Stating that certain plans had been formulated'which would be announced later, the Minister of Labour (Mr W. Sullivan) was not prepared to comment when interviewed this evening. It is understood, however, that the Government will soon call for general applications from any persons to register as waterside workers.

Mr Sullivan said that he had been informed that officials of the deregistered Waterside Workers’ Union had advised their representatives at various ports that negotiations were proceeding with the Government and that an early settlement was imminent He said that appeared to be another attempt to mislead the waterside workers, a number of whom were anxious to resume employment without delay. * ‘"There have been no representations made to me on behalf of the watersiders, and I emphatically state there wiU be no departure from the seven points already laid down,” raid Mr Sullivan. “The only discussion has been an unofficial* one with the secretary of the Trade Union Congress, who had no authority to speak on behalf of the watersiders.”

The secretary of the Trade Union Congress (Mr A. B. Grant, of Christchurch) has been in Wellington for the last two days. Both last evening and on Wednesday evening he had talks with the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) for fairly long periods. •