DAIRY FACTORY EMPLOYEES

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 December 1940, Page 9

DAIRY FACTORY EMPLOYEES

DISPUTE WITHDRAWN. [per press association.] WELLINGTON, December 6. The hearing of the New Zealand dairy factory employees’ dispute by the Court of Arbitration to-day concluded with the workers withdrawing their claims from the Court. The result is that the proceedings, which were commenced about June, have lapsed and the current award will continue in force until the. Court makes an award based on the new claims. When the case was called this morning Mr H. J. Bishop, who appeared for the employers, explained that there was a bona fide difference between him and Mr J. Ross as to what remained for the Court to decide. The Conciliation Council had deputed a committee of three from each side to re-draft the clauses, the intent of which was not in dispute. The clauses of the proposed award had been drawn up, but only the previous day he and Mr Ross had realised they were not agreed on the position. He believed that all matters in the award affecting drivers remained in dispute, and Mr Ross believed it was only a question of extra payment for drivers on Saturday afternoons and Sundays that remained. In addition to this point - , there was another smaller one foi the Court to decide. Mr Bishop suggested that it would be possible for them to proceed with the hearing, but Mr Ross said that he had not prepared a case to be conducted on the basis proposed by Mr Bishop. If the parties could not agree to a basis of hearing, the only thing to do would be to adjourn the case, Mr Justice Tyndall remarked. Mr Ross replied that he understood that a fixture would not be obtainable until February, and then the season would be over. After further discussion by advocates, His Honor said that the work of the Court was'to settle disputes, but not to settle disputes about what was in dispute. He adjourned the Court for five minutes. Upon resumption, MiBishop said that there was actually very little difference between him and Mr Ross. “The Court is not prepared to decide what the parties are in dispute about,” said His Honor to Mr Ross, after Mr Ross had replied. “I am not going to listen any longer to arguments about what is in dispute. The Court apreciates that you do not want to wait till February for a settlement.” Informal discussions and conferences lasted throughout the afternoon, and at 4.30 the Court resumed, but Mr Ross announced that an agreement had not been possible, and he would withdraw the workers’ claims. Both advocates and the Judge expressed regret that the proceedings had come to such an end.