BUILDING JOB DISPUTE

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27989, 8 June 1956, Page 7

BUILDING JOB DISPUTE

ARBITRATION LIKELY ON TUESDAY

UNION INSISTENCE ON DATE

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, June 7.

The Auckland Civic Centre building dispute will almost certainly go to formal arbitration on .Tuesday, June 12, before a dispute committee of four members and a chairman appointed by the Minister of Labour (Mr W. Sullivan).

Mr W. Williamson, managing director of the Christchurch building firm involved in the dispute, had agreed verbally to this date, said the president of the Federation of Labour (Mr F. P. Walsh) in Wellington tonight.

“The federation’s nation-wide ban on the transport of materials to the company’s jobs will not, however, be lifted until confirmation of the date is received,’’ said Mr Walsh. Mr Williamson had earlier insisted that June 19 should be the date, though at yesterday’s compulsory conference he agreed to submit to arbitration forthwith. Mr Walsh said. For the federation. Tuesday was the deadline, and the ban would not be lifted until this date was accented. _

The terms of reference the dispute committee have been approved by Mr Williamson and by the executive of the Auckland Trades Council. The federation and the Williamson Construction Company will each have two representatives, and if no agreement can be reached, it is believed that the chairman’s decision will be binding on both parties.

BAN ON HANDLING GOODS STILL IN FORCE

Ths ban on handLng or carting supplies for the Williamson Construction Company was still on, said Mr C. R. Tnomas, secretrry of the Canterbury District Council of the Federation of Labour, yesterday afternoon. Further action would depend on the instructions f om the national executive of the Federation of Labour, he said. Mr A. S. Roberts, secretary of the Canterbury Drivers’ Union, also said that the position was unchanged. In Wellington on Wednesday the parties to the Auckland Civic Centre bui’ding dispute agreed at a compulsory conference called by the Minister of Labour, Mr W. Sullivan, to submit the dispute to arbitration.