WORK ON WHARF

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 116, 18 May 1944, Page 6

WORK ON WHARF

WEATHER CLAUSE

EMPLOYERS' COMPLAINT A complaint that the clause regarding work in wet and windy weather was being abused by the waterside workers was made last night by the secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Employers' Association, Mr. W. H. Bennett. The reply of the Wellington Waterside Workers'. Union today was that under clause 45 of the agreement with the employers, both employers and employees had the right to decide, the men by ballot, whether the conditions were suitable for work, and the union did not consider that the provisions of the clause had been abused. Mr. Bennett said that work on an urgent overseas vessel had been held up, the.men informing the employers at 1 p.m. that if there was no improvement in the weather by 3.30 p.m. they would refuse to return to work at 6 o'clock. Orders were given to the men to return to work at the time laid down in the Waterfront Control Commission's orders, but the men refused to accept and ceased work at 5 p.m. The matter came under clause 47 of the Commission's orders, which state that the men must work if required between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. providing orders to this effect had been given before 4 p.m. On the s.s. Kauri on Tuesday the men balloted and then refused to continue work because of the wind. They were ordered back to work at 6 o'clock that evening, but ceased; work and went home an hour later. Yesterday, Mr. Bennett continued, the men on the Kauri worked practically only one hour, on the grounds that it was too wet and windy. They were suspended and ordered to return to work at 8 o'clock this morning. On the s.s. Waipahi men were engaged at 8 a.m. yesterday, but though they were being paid, consistently refused to work on account of wind and rain. They were suspended also and ordered to return at 8 o'clock this morning. Though the workers had the right to take a ballot and decide to cease work because of wind or rain, the employers considered that this clause was being very much abused, Mr. Bennett concluded. With the improvement in the weather this morning work on both vessels continued normally.