SURPRISE MOVES IN AUCKLAND

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 141, 9 March 1940, Page 12

SURPRISE MOVES IN AUCKLAND

Government’s Message To Union DE-REGISTRATION SUGGESTED Employers Discharge Men Who Refuse Overtime (By Telegniph—Press Association.) AU C K LAN D, M arch 8. A message from the Government, asking the Auckland branch of the Waterside Workers’ Union to show reason why it should not be deregistered, and dismissal by employers of all men who declined overtime work were featurcs’of the situation on the Auckland waterfront today. Since Wednesday the union has refused to work overtime till its claims for a new award covering waterfront conditions in New Zealand are met. A day of surprise moves opened with a .special ytopwork meeting of tlie union, when a telegram was received from the Minister of Labour. Mr. Welib. stating tiiat (lie Government took a serious view of the situation, and' asking tlie men to advise him immediately of their attitude. The union reqilied tiiat the men would continue in Hie same frame of mind till tlie (shipowners had intimated their wiHlngncss to meet the workers for the purpose of negotiating a new agreement. Implications that the present position was brought, about by Communist influence were emphatically denied at tlie meeting. Apparently acting on instructions received from the headquarters of the shipping companies in Wellington, employers dismissed men who refused overtime work tonight, when the customary call was made about 4 o’clock iu tlie afternoon. About 1000 men were working on vessels today, and a large majority, all those. on ships which normally would have worked overtime tonight, wore put off work. Following the provisions* controlling the Auckland Waterside Labour Bureau, a call for labour will l>e made in the morning, discs being exhibited to all men except those dismissed. If work is refused (lie entire union will have failed to comply with award conditions, according to tlie claim of the employers, who hold that, in this event, the next move must come from tlie Government. A sin ng indication of the Government's iiTtentione was given late this afternoon, when tlie union was asked to give reasons' why it should not bo de-registered. This action, together witli that of the employers, will lie discussed at a special stopwork meeting of Hie union, which on Wednesday was fairly unanimous in its decision.

ATTITUDE OF HARBOUR BOARD May Call For Voluntary Labour (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, March 8. In announcing tonight tiiat if the shipping-dispute is not settled by Monday morning the Auckland Harbour Board will exercise its powers by calling for voluntary labour to work the vessels, tlie chairman of tlie board, Mr. W. B. Darlow, attributed the present situation in Auckland to the deliberate actions of a minority of waterside workers to prevent produce going overseas. “I have been Imsy during the past two days endeavouring to get to tlie bottom of the dispute on our waterfront,” said Mr. Darlow. “At first I was under the impression that the cause of the trouble was the delay the Waterside Workers’ Union had experienced in having its award dealt witli by the Court of Arbitration. If such had been the case I would have considered tlie actions of the watersiders, specially at such a critical time as this, as being extremely ill advised, but the situation, to my mind, would not have been wholly black. ".My investigations, however, reveal something that I am ashamed to admit. I was informed that: the delay of the Court of Arbitration iu hearing the dispute was only a pretext aud that the real.object of an organized minority ot our watersiders was to 'torpedo’ our effort iu getting our produce overseas. Tlie position to me appeared as black as hell. “I fully realize tlie seriousness ot tliis statement,” continued Mr. Darlow, "and it is not made with the object of discrediting Hie whole body of waterside workers, many of whom, I am proud to say, are my personal friends, but I do believe tiiat this is a. case of an organized minority exercising its will on a disorganized majority. "L would stoutly deny tiiat tlie bulk of our waterside workers would knowingly do anything to injure the efforts of this country in its endeavour to bring this war to a successful conclusion. Many of our watersiders and their sons arc with the fighting forces overseas, and others are in camp. As individuals they have given most generously to funds lor furthering our war efforts. Surely they must realize that: their combined actions are going to have Hie effect of playing into the hands of the enemies of this country. "It is needless for me to say tiiat our produce is most urgently required overseas. Tlie Auckland Htirbour Board has been urged to give preference to ships carrying our produce, and we have done so. I trust I shall never lend my influence to jirevent workers of this country from obtaining tlie best conditions Iliac the industry can afford to give them, but I certainly am not going to stand liy and see our country betrayed. Many may say it is not their intention to embarrass our Empire, but I would point out tiiat their actions are having that effect.

"It is useless for us to send soldiers overseas unless we are prepared to see that they are fed,” said Mr, Darlow. “If we firil in that respect, then we will rightly be called traitors. Enemy countries are in the ha,bit of using traitors, but even Germans detest them. However, let. it not be said that we failed when our efforts were most urgently needed. “I intend to use all my efforts over (he weekend to induce the watersiders to see tiie situation in all its seriousness, and 1 have little doubt that they will abandon the slowing down methods of the past few days. “Next week we are going to see ships lying in tiie stream waiting for berthage accommodation, and if cur watersiders persist in not working these vessels, (hen the harbour board will bo reluctantly compelled to call for vol-

unteers to undertake the job," concluded Mr. Darlow. “I sincerely trust this course wid bo unnecessary, but, if it is, the people of Auckland can rest assured that overseas ships will be loaded.” CHRISTCHURCH TROUBLE (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, March S. Further trouble arose ou the water front at Lyttelton this morning. Tlie non-union men who refused work jesterday unless they were employed till 9.30 p.m. were stood'down, and other non-unionists when offered jobs, refused- to accept them.