Hopes For End Of Tallow Dispute

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30578, 22 October 1964, Page 1

Hopes For End Of Tallow Dispute

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 21. The series of disputes over the handling of bulk tallow may be nearing an end. This hope was expressed by the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) after his release of letters written by himself, the Federation of Labour and the Port Employers’ Association over the last two days. In a letter dated today, the president of the F.O.L. (Mr T. E. Skinner) advises Mr Shand that if all ships in the port of Lyttelton are manned at the first opportunity, the men will resume work on the bulk tallow loading in accordance with the decision of the Waterfront Industry Tribunal.

The letter also states “that the Northern, Taranaki, Wellington and Canterbury Waterside Workers’ Federation has never or doesn’t intend to refuse to abide by the tribunal’s decisions.” Mr Shand told reporters that in view of this assurance given by Mr Skinner, that the federation of waterfront unions would in future accept decision of the tribunal, it only remained for the Lyttelton union to give the under-

taking asked for before normal work could be resumed. The F.O.L. also asks in its letter that it receive an assurance from the employers that any application for the interpretation of the tribunal’s order on the loading of bulk tallow be facilitated by the port employers through the normal channels. Minister’s Letter Mr Skinner’s letter is in reply to a letter sent by Mr Shand to the federation yesterday. In that letter, Mr Shand said the Port Employers’ Association had met with him and confirmed they had told the Lyttelton union that “no fresh jobs, other than steamer-express and replacement on jobs already manned, will be started until the port employers receive an undertaking from the union that they will work bulk tallow on the Kwangsi and all further bulk tallow ships in the port of Lyttelton in accordance with the tribunal’s order.” Mr Shand said the Government strongly supported the view that the tribunal’s decision must be observed. The Minister also said In his letter that if the union desired to raise any matters on the interpretation of the tribunal’s order, the port employers had told him that as soon as the necessary undertaking was given by the union they would facilitate the

appropriate action through the normal channels. In a letter to be delivered to the F.O.L. by the Port Employers’ Association tonight, the deputy chairman and general secretary (Mr V. P. Blakeley) says the association did not agree that member unions of the Waterside Workers’ Federation had carried out decisions of the tribunal in the past as the present dispute arose solely through a refusal by a member union to observe the tribunal’s decision in relation to the loading of bulk tallow. The letter continues: “However, my association is pleased to have the assurance of the Federation of Labour that the member union of the Northern Taranaki, Wellington and Canterbury .Waterside Workers’ Federation will observe the decision of the Waterfront Industry Tribunal in future. “In view of this assurance, it is assumed that the federation will now instruct the Lyttelton Waterside Workers’ Union to give an undertaking in writing, as requested by my association, that all work in connexion with the loading of the bulk tallow on the vessel Kwangsi and on future bulk tallow vessels, will be carried out in accordance with the tribunal order. “Immediately this assurance is given arrangements will be made for the resumption of normal work at the port.”