AUCKLAND WATERSIDERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 October 1945, Page 2

AUCKLAND WATERSIDERS

GO-SLOW CONTINUED AUCKLAND, October 24. A decision to continue the go-slow policy until the'man who was dismissed from the Glen, Line vessel Denbighshire more than a fortnight ago is reinstated was made at a stopwork meeting of the Auckland Waterside Workers’ Union to-day. In a telephone interview from Wellington with the “New Zealand Herald,” the chairman of the Waterfront Control Commission, Captain R. E. Price, said -he had been informed of the union’s decision through the Auckland waterfront controller, Mr. W. J. Cuthbert. Captain Price said the commission’s attitude was unchanged. A conference would be held as soon as the men resumed normal work. The dismissal of the man by a commission foreman, who alleged he had used abusive language, resulted in a dispute. The go-slow started on the Denbighshire on October 9, and spread to all ships the following week. Since then the union has brought other issues into, the dispute, and has enumerated additional grievances. In an endeavour to assist in reaching a solution, the Auckland Trades Council asked the Government to intervene, and to convene a conference in Auckland immediately to settle the union’s claims. ‘ The Acting-Minister of Labour (Mr. O’Brien) replied that a conference would be held when normal work was resumed. The stop-work meeting started at 8 o’clock this morning. It adjourned at 9, and reassembled at 10. The meeting continued for more than an hour, and waterside workers returned to their ships at 1 o’clock, when the goslow continued. No labour has been engaged for the United States War Shipping Administration’s vessel Kenneth McKay, which has general cargo and sulphur from Galveston. Other shins are all manned.

PEACE RESTORED AUCKLAND, October 25. The go-slow policy which has been operating on all ships at Auckland since October 16, ended this morning. Work is now proceeding at the normal rate. _ . n The Auckland Waterfront Controller (Mr. W. J. Cuthbert) said: “We received a notification from the Watersiders’ Union that normal work would be resumed on all ships. On confirmation of this at various jobs, immediate inquiry was held into the dismissal of a worker from the Denbighshire. On examination of the ■evidence presented by the waterside workers and the foremen’s unions, the worker concerned was reinstated.” Mr. H. Barnes, President of the Watersiders’ Union, said he had no statement to make.