THE WATERSIDE DISPUTE

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 48, 25 February 1921, Page 7

THE WATERSIDE DISPUTE

GENERAL DENIAL FROM

FEDERATION

SPECIAL COXFEBEKCE PROPOSED,

In accordance with the announcement made in last night's Post, the deadlock on the waterfront was referred to at a meeting of the local Disputes Committee held yesterday afternoon at tho request of the Wellington Union. Thp employers' representatives took the stand that the dispute had ceased to be a local matter, and now concerned the whole Dominion. Briefly stated, it a national dispute. In "view of that, the employers proposed that it should be referred to a special conference which would be attended by representatives of the employers and the Wat 0 side Workers' Federation respectively. No reply, to this suggestion'lias yet been received, and, of course, work remains at astandstill. -,'>'■.■■

It is not proposed that ths special tribunal will discuss the bonus question. As far as the employers are concerned they will not be prepared to increase their offer of Id per hour, based on a 36-hour week. It seems that they wonld be prepared to discuss only the present position and the question of resuming work under normal conditions. The form which any guarantee or assurance might take might also be a subject, for consideration.

Ther* was a special "stop-work" meeting of the Wellington Union to-day. It was. largely attended, ;nd lasted for about one hour and a-half. , It was officially stated that a report from "ths> federation was adopted unanimously. The, nature of the report was not disclosed, j , . ; ■ Officials of- the Waterside Workers' Federation Jeclinea agam to-day, to make any statement for publication. There -were two additions last night io the fleet of idle steamers at .Wellington. The New Zealand Shipping Co.'s liner Dorset, which is to complete loading at Wellington for Home, arrived' from Napier and came to anchor in the stream. The Rosamond arrived from. Greymouth with timber and general cargo, and berthed at No. 14, Queen's Wharf, to await,a.settlement of the dispute. -. ■ ■ ■ . The crews of the coastal steamers Opawa and Wairau/were paid off at Wellington yesterday. The tonnage of. the idle fleet now totals 81,490. '