NGAHERE DREDGE

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1940, Page 5

NGAHERE DREDGE

WORK RESUMED TO-DAY As the result of conversations at 'Wellington yesterday, between the Federation of Labour and the Minister of Labour (Mr. P. C. Webb), a tribunal is being set up to investigate the dispute between the Ngahere Gold Dredging company and its employees, who were dismissed following their failure to report for work on Monday, November 25 (King’s Birthday), and work was resumed on the dredge this morning. It is expected that the tribunal, with Mr. J. A.’ Gilmour, Industrial Magistrate, as Chairman, will sit at Greymouth, on Saturday afternoon. A meeting of the National Council of the Federation of Labour was held at Wellington, yesterday morning, when Mr. D. C. Faris (Secretary of the Westland Dredge Workers’ Union) presented the case for the Ngahere employees. .According to a statement issued by the Support Committee, set up by the West Coast Trades and Labour Council and the Union, the President of the Federation of Labour (Mr. A. McLagan) later communicated by telephone with the Committee and stated that the Federation, after full consideration of the facts, had expressed the opinion that the men s action was justified, and that the Federation had given its fullest support to them. The Federation, he said, had decided immediately to get into contact with the Minister of Labour (Hon. P. C. Webb) who was in Wellington. Following the Conference with the Minister, it was agreed, according to the Support Committee’s statement, that a tribunal be set up immediately and Mr. Webb indicated that Mr. J. A. Gilmour, S.M., the Industrial Magistrate, could be in Greymouth on Saturday next to preside over the sitting. Mr. McLagan was later selected by the Federation of Labour to sit on the tribunal as representative of the men, and a representative of the employers is to be appointed. The Minister also indicated that formal notice of the setting up of the tribunal would be gazetted. Interviewed by the “Star,” to-day, Mr. T. Blackie, manager of the Company, confirmed that the dredge had re-commenced operations this morning but stated that he would not comment further on the matter, as the whole question was to come before the tribunal on Saturday.