STAFF COMMITTEE

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 February 1947, Page 10

STAFF COMMITTEE

HARBOUR BOARD SETS A PRECEDENT DISCUSSIONS ON WORK A precedent in regard to relations between local body executives and staffs on the West Coast is to be set by the Greymouth Harbour Board, which decided last evening to form a committee of staff members to discuss, at regular intervals, methods of carrying out the board's work. The formation of such a committee was suggested by the engineer (Mr. D. S. Kennedy) who submitted a special report on the proposal. He suggested that a committee comprising a few members of the outside staff and the senior staff should meet once a month to discuss matters generally affecting the men and the works. The committee, he added, would have no power other than to suggest and examine 'improvements to working conditions, or new ideas of carrying out works. The chairman (Mr. E. W. Heenan) said he took it that the men often had ideas for carrying out jobs. “Yes, that has happened before, and they have reached me only by round about means,” said the engineer. Mr. Kennedy added that the committee would establish a sort of liaison oetween the staff, foremen and oiticeis. Mr. W. M. Wallace said he would like to congratulate the engineer on what he (Mr. Wallace) thought was. ( a splendid idea. It would make for better relations between the men and the executive officers. He moved that the engineer’s report be adopted and that the engineer be empowered to implement it. In seconding the motion, Mr., r. Willliams said he thought the idea would tend to create unity and harmony among the staff. Appointment of Apprentice The engineer also recommended that applications for an apprentice in fitting and turning be advertised and considered later by the board, after a three months’ probation period had been served. The employment of an apprentice would be a new departure for the board, although he considered that the workshop was quite capable of training an apprentice. The engineer added that he had been concerned for some time with the difficulty of obtaining fitters and turners, and it was becoming evident that local bodies would have to face up to the responsibility of providing their own stciffs In reply to questions, the engineer said that the board’s shop would be registered and it would then be possible for the apprentice to complete his training. It had also been suggested that a similar appointment should be made in the carpentry branch m the near future. The report was adopted and Mr. Kennedy was empowered to call applications for an apprentice as suggested.

Picnic Day A 'deputation from the Harbour Board Employees’ Union, comprising Messrs R. Tilleyshort (president), J. Walton (secretary), and T. Kelly (member) waited on the board with the request that the board should consent to the union having its own picnic day. Mr. Tilleyshort pointed out that, according to the award, which had been in operation since 1937, the board’s employees were to have the same picnic day as the watersiders but the latter could arrange a train only oi2 a Saturday, which was a holiday for the harbour board employees and. they felt that they were being “done out” of a day. The Greymouth union was the only one in the major ports which did not have a picnic day. Mr. Walton added that when the award was made it was stated that there should be a picnic day allowed, but there had never been one. The union felt that now there was a staff of 60 or 70 it was big enough to have its own picnic. Mr. Tilleyshort said that when the award was drawn up there was a 48hoffr week, but now it was 40 hours, which altered the situation. On the motion of Messrs W. M. Wallace and J. Ryall, M.LC.., it was decided to grant a picnic day as requested, the actual day to be the union’s own choice and to be a paid holiday. It was also decided to grant £2 to the picnic fund, after Mr. Walton had pointed out that the board had always made a donation to the watersiders’ picnic fund.