WAGE RISE

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1947, Page 2

WAGE RISE

CASE TO BE PRESENTED PERMISSION GIVEN BY GOVERNMENT WATERSIDERS’ MEETING WELLINGTON, Feb. 11. The course of action that may have been decided upon by the national executive of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Union at a special meeting today in regard to four outstanding claims is overshadowed in interest by a surprise announcement by the Minister of Labour (Mr. A. McLagan) that the Government will allow the Federation of Labour to present a case to the Court of Arbitration for an all-round increase in wages.

It was also announced to-night by Mr. T. Hill, national secretary of the Waterside Workers’ Union, that his executive will meet Mr. McLagan and other Ministers to-morrow, at Mr. McLagan’s invitation, to discuss the watersiders’ demands. These two new developments complicate the situation, and it is now apparent that whether New Zealand is to have harmony or discord on the waterfront will depend to a great extent on what happens at the meeting to-morrow. Meeting with Ministers;. It is presumed that the national executive of the Waterside Workers’ Union will resume its meeting after the conference with the Ministers. Any decision reached could be communicated to branches of the union in time to be considered at the monthly stop-work meetings which are scheduled for all ports on Thursday. The result of the meeting with the Ministers can at this stage be only surmised, but all indications are that the watersiders are not willing to retreat from the stand they had taken over the last several weeks for better wages and conditions. Commenting on the proposed application by the Federation of Labour for a general order increasing wages, Mr. Hill told a reporter to-night that it would please all members of the Waterside Workers Union, as well as all other workers. “But we are looking forward to a increase in wages, as well as a stabilisation of prices,” he said. “Wage increases with an automatic increase in prices will be of no value to the workers.” Support from Overseas.

The waterside organisations in both New Zealand and Australia have promised each other active support, if desired, in the current disputes involving each group. This was given in two trans-Tasman telephone conversations which took place during the last few days between leading New Zealand and Australian officials. The officials taking part were Messrs. H. Barnes and T. Hill, national president and national secretary respectively of. the Waterside Workers’ Union, and Messrs. J. Healy and E. T. Roach, general secretary and assistant general secretary respectively of the Australian Watersiders’ Federation. These conversations confirmed previous assurances given between the two oiganisations who have become closely associated through reciprocal visits of officials during the last four years. No recent approach has been made to the Pacific Coast longshoremen under their well-known leader, Mr. Harry Bridges, but it is believed that an early communication is very probable. Minister's Statement.

The Minister of Labour, in his announcement, said that representations had been received from the national executive of the Federation of Labour, to the effect that material disparities had arisen in the generawage structure, because _oi the granting of sectional increases agreed upon between the employers and employees in certain industries. The Government had made an exhaustive survey of awards and agreements, which showed trie position to be as stated by the Federation of Labour Executive. The ironing out of these disparities by means of individual applications from the many unions concerned, and many individual bearings by the Court of Arbitration, would be a long, drawn-out procedure, and would be undesirable rn se Y ei . a ] ways. The national executive of the Federation of Labour had asked that the method adopted in 1945 ±o . r correction of the anomalies at that time should be followed again on this occasion. The Government had agreed to take the necessary steps to ena the Federation of Labour to P res . e^ t a case to the Court of Arbitration, asking for a new wage order As the regulation gazetted in ISKJ applied only to awards an aments then in force it was not posible for the application to bt under that regulation, and a n-u regulation, on the lines of 1945, would be gazetted The „Em ployers’ Federation would haie as hi 1945, an opportunity to place■ - views before the Court of Arbitia-. tion, and the court would, «s usu a> fix the date for the hearing, allow the two federations ;^ cie time to prepare their redeem e cases.