‘Harbour Boards Are Wrong’

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31540, 30 November 1967, Page 26

‘Harbour Boards Are Wrong’

(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, Nov. 29. The chairman of the Waterfront Industry Commission (Mr A. E. Bockett) said tonight he was amazed at “the confused and misleading statement made by the Harbours’ Association about . the commission’s administration.” He said the Port Employers’ Association, whose members paid more than 99 per cent of the commission’s national administration levy, had agreed to the recent increase in the levy. The harbour boards, who paid less than 1 per cent of the levy, were quite wrong in alleging that the increase was caused mainly by the extension of the commission’s activities. Mr Bockett said the Harbours Association representatives attended meetings with the Port Employers’ Association and the commission, and the association was supplied with full details of the commission’s income and expenditure, and given explanations for the levy increase. The association, he said, should be fully aware that:

(1) The increase was caused mainly by the low level of employment on the waterfront, resulting in reduced income, and to the substantial increase in guaranteed wage payments to waterside workers. (2) The cost of collecting wharf-handling charges was not part of the national administration fund, the commission receiving a 2i per cent collection fee, which covered the cost of the work, including additional staff.

(3) To reduce administration costs of collecting wharf-

handling charges, and to provide a more convenient service to shippers and consignees, the commission on two occasions this year invited harbour boards to collect the charges with their wharfage accounts. Some boards were doing this, but there had been no move by the major boards. The commission would welcome this work being undertaken by the harbour boards concerned. “Regarding the suggestion that there should be an Inquiry into the commission’s administration,” Mr Bockett

said, “while it considers that its administration is efficient, the commission has nothing to hide and would raise no objection to such an Inquiry, provided an inquiry is held into the operations and administrative efficiency of harbour boards throughout New Zealand.” Mr Bockett said he regretted “this attack, not only on the commission’s administration but on the conditions of employment of waterside workers,” at a time when the Government had approved the establishment of a waterfront conference to consider major changes in conditions of employment to match the container age.