Bigger casual force sought

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32707, 9 September 1971, Page 2

Bigger casual force sought

(New Zealand Press Association)

. WELLINGTON, September 8. Concern about resistance to the employment of anything other than what it called a token casual work force on New Zealand wharves was expressed today by the Exports and Shipping Council.

In a report, the chairman of the council’s port facilities and transport committee, Mr R. H. Matthews, said the committee feared that delays similar to those experienced last year would occur next season. He said New Zealand European Shipping Association vessels had lost 987 ship-days in the nine months ended June 30. The unavailability of waterfront labour had accounted for 563 shfp-days, which he said clearly indicated the need to augment the labour force. Mr Matthews said some progress had been made in negotiations' with unions at the ports of Auckland, New Plymouth and Lyttelton, where some increase in the port register strengths had been agreed to. “Although this indicates some progress, the position is still far from satisfactory, as negotiations for increases at other ports have been held in abeyance because of problems in other industrial areas,’.’ he said. “Subsidiary registers of casual workers are being established at most ports, and the numbers included in these registers will be greater than the number which under the agreement may be employed each day.”

This would ensure there would always be sufficient men available to allow the maximum agreed numbers to be employed when required. Mr Matthews added, however, that the restriction on the use of casual labour meant that more than 90 per cent of the total waterfront, work force would be employed under permanent conditions. He said it was (believed there was some understanding between the unions and employers that during December, January and February, when a high proportion of waterside workers took annual holiday, there should be some relaxation of the restriction on the number of casuals employed. It did, however, seem that with the seasonal nature of the country’s overseas trade, the proportion of permanently employed men to the casual men permitted was disproportionate, and, therefore, costly when related to other seasonal industries.