NEW METHOD

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 137, 11 June 1940, Page 9

NEW METHOD

WATERFRONT WORK

CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM

MINISTER EXPLAINS

An elaboration of his announcement yesterday afternoon regarding the extension of-the co-operative system of work on the waterfronts of the Dominion was .nade last night by the Minister of Labour (the Hon. P. C.. Webb). The Minister said that an order providing for the wages and conditions of employment of workers engaged in the industry had been issued by the Waterfront Control Commission, but this order could rightly be regarded as only a temporary measure, for the commission already had introduced a new system for the loading and discharging of vessels. The new method would be known as the co-operative contract system under which the men would be paid by results. As, however, the hourly wage system had been in operation so long and as the parties had partially agreed in conciliation council that this system should continue, an order had been issued by the commission to apply / in the meantime. OLD SYSTEM UNSATISFACTORY. "For a considerable time past," said Mr. Webb, "there has been discontent j on the waterfronts of New Zealand, due to the fact that the waterside workers have not been able to obtain a new agreement or award of the Court of Arbitration. As it is imperative that vessels trading between Great Britain and New Zealand should be discharged and loaded with the greatest possible efficiency, the Government appointed a commission with full powers to deal with all the questions involved. The investigations of the commission have proved that the system which has obtained up to the present is not satisfactory, and it has been decided to ' inaugurate new methods by which the work will be performed on a co-operative contract basis. "This system has been in operation at the port of Patea since November 1 last and has proved successful in every way. The earnings of the men have been substantially increased and in addition vessels have received better dispatch without any increase in costs to the ship owner concerned. "At the port of Wellington during the past week, the discharging and loading operations of two vessels were carried out under this method, and the results have been eminently satisfactory. "In the present emergency the main efforts of the people of New Zealand should be to supply all the foodstuffs and raw materials possible to the people of the United Kingdom. Overseas shipping space is at a premium, and if we can increase the number of trips a year of the vessels trading to New Zealand we will be carrying out one of the main essentials of New Zealand's war effort, for it must be remembered that owing to the military situation in Europe the markets from which Great Britain was able to obtain its foodstuffs have been limited and it is our duty to help fill the gap which r.as been created. It has also an important bearing oi. the economic life of this country. Large stocks of our products are held in stores in New Zealand, and it is of the utmost importance that these stocks should be cleared before the produce of the new i season is ready. MORE INCENTIVE TO MEN. "Under the hourly system of handling cargo which has obtained up to the present, there has. been no incentive to speed up the loading and dis-' charging of vessels. The fact that when a ship was discharged or loaded, as the case might be, the men would then probably experience a period of unemployment was not conducive to efficient work. Under the system which has already been in operation, the men will be • paid a certain, rate per xmit or per ton of cargo, and they will re- ! ceive the full results of the work they perform; in other words, the men employed will be paid on the result of their efforts, and wherever this sysi tern has been tried it has proved to be satisfactory to the men employed and to the ship owners. "For more than half a century, the problem of casual waterfront labour has occupied the attention of Governments in many countries and numerous commissions have been appointed to submit recommendations to eliminate the evils of this system of employment," said the Minister. BETTER ALL-ROUND RESULTS. "The Waterfront Control Commission appointed by the New Zealand Government is of the opinion that the order issued today, together with the proposals for co-operative contract work, will not only eliminate many of the evils of casual waterfront labour but will also ensure a better dispatch for ships trading to and from New Zealand and at the same time give to the men engaged in the industry more regularity of employment and a fair living standard. The Commission has appealed for the co-operation of all the parties concerned, and the trials which have been made up to date indicate very clearly that vessels can be discharged and loaded with greater dispatch and with no greater cost to the producers of the goods which are shipped overseas."