DISPUTE WITH MEN

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 24, 29 January 1942, Page 8

DISPUTE WITH MEN

USE OF OUTSIDE LABOUR

Serious trouble occurred on the Wellington waterfront today.

It appears that owing to the introduction of outside labour by the Government to facilitate the rapid handling of the work of the port the local watersiders held a stop-work meeting this morning to discuss the position, and then started work at 8.30 a.m., carrying on until the luncheon adjournment.

At one o'clock this afternoon, however, when they were due to resume, the watersiders, it was alleged, refused to work and, it is stated, gave the Waterfront Commissioners an hour in which to reach a decision on the matter.

When inquiries regarding the dispute were made in Government circles it was stated that as the Minister of Labour (Mr. Webb) was still in Auckland, the matter had been referred to the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser).

Late this afternoon Mr. Fraser said that he had been advised of the matter, but in the absence of a report from the Waterfront Control Commissioners he was unable to comment on the position. It is stated authoritatively that the stop-work meeting was held to consider the position which has arisen through the Waterfront Control Commission bringing members of local branches of other ports to increase the labour available to work ■ the port. The meeting concluded somewhere about 8.20 a.m. and the first boat commenced, it is understood, about 8.30. Some were delayed longer. At 1 p.m. today the men again did not resume work and held a further meeting to discuss the position, not only about the introdiiction of new labour without, it is understood, the Commission consulting the local ■union, but also, it is understood, to discuss a further complaint as to the allocation of the working of special cargoes which carry an increased rate.

The meeting had not concluded at 2.55 p.m.