Container depot claim dropped

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33540, 22 May 1974, Page 2

Container depot claim dropped

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, May 21

The Waterside Workers’ Federation has withdrawn its application to the Wages Tribunal for an industrial agreement to cover two Wellington sea cargo off-wharf container depots designated by the Minister of Labour (Mr Watt) as places where waterside workers should work.

Advice of this has been received by the other parties concerned in the application —the Storeman and Packers’ Union, which has the coverage of the depots, and the Employers’ Federation, representing the freight forwarders.

The watersiders had sought the tribunal’s approval of a new industrial agreement for the depots at a hearing on April 26. This was adjourned when the tribunal was uncertain whether it had the power to handle the matter.

The application was opposed by the Storemen and

Packers’ Union, which informed the tribunal that it had filed an application in the Supreme Court last December seeking to have declared unlawful an order by the Minister designating coverage of the depots to water-

side workers. The decision of the federation to withdraw the application leaves coverage of the depots with the Storemen and Packers’ Union, and it appears unlikely that any further formal moves will be made until the Supreme Court

has ruled on the legality of the Minister's action.