WAGES AND HOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 70, 24 March 1938, Page 15

WAGES AND HOURS

PORT CHARGES INCREASED

j, "Last year-the new Waterside Workers' Agreement came into operation;the bureau system, for employment of' i waterside labour was established, and the Harbour Boards' Employees' Union j completed its negotiations with the i employers in regard to wages and coniditions," said the chairman (Mr. D. J. McGowan) at the annual meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board last night. "In the case of the Harbour Board employees, the old-established rules, customs, .and decisions of the board over the last.fifty years were replaced ■by an Arbitration Court award. 'Although special rates and conditions have been applied to each port, there have been many staff matters which it was difficult to cover in an award, and, although provision exists for the setting up of local and national disputes committees for the purpose of settling any points that may arise, I must express the opinion- that the previous arrangement by which such domestic matters were dealt with by a special committee of this board had much to commend it.

"It became necessary on account of the cost involved in wages increases, restrictions of hours, increased holiday leave, and other conditions, for the board to, reluctantly, increase its charges to importers and exporters, and certain items in the tariff were increased by such an amount as was thought necessary to meet the situation that had arisen. ;ln the allocation of these charges the board, as it always has done, endeavoured to apportion the increases between the various interests affected."