Port May Be Idled-450 Auckland Watersiders Now On Penalty

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1949, Page 4

Port May Be Idled—450 Auckland Watersiders Now On Penalty

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, This Day. A further 240 men were placed on penalty this morning for refusing work on the Northumberland, Fordsdale, Australia Star, and Port Dunedin. This brings the total of watersiders on penalty to 450. The Northumberland is now a preference ship and, unless a settlement of the dispute is in sight by the end of the week, the port will be virtually idle. Fresh labour cannot be engaged until the gangs allocated to the Northumberland work her—except to handle vitally necessary commodities.

At a special stop-work meeting which lasted about an hour this morning, the watersiders discussed the latest developments. This was followed by a lengthy meeting of the union executive.

Officials stated subsequently that the union considered the Waterfront Industry Authority should have suspended its decision to declare the Northumberland a preference ship while discussions were proceeding between the Carpenters’ Union and the Federation of Labour. The authority’s action had aroused in the union a greater determination to resist. The dispute could be solved by the employers lifting the ban on the “unemployed locked-out workers.”

• The Federation of Labour executive is still exploring all avenues of the Auckland carpenters’ dispute, stated a member of the executive in Wellington this afternoon. This morning the executive' was addressed by a member of the Auckland Drivers’ Union, Mr E. Andrews, and will probably confei - with Carpenters’ Union officials this afternoon.

Builders Stand Firm; Only One Real Issue (P.A.) WANGANUI, This Day. “There is only one real issue involved in this dispute. It is not a question of wages, conditions, or costs. It is purely and simply a struggle between organised labour, the Labour Government, and decentthinking people and a few militant union leaders —the question of whether or not the arbitration system should be observed by all the parties which use it. Hinging on this is the question whether or not the builders should be faced annually with a goslow or similar disruptive tactics which seriously interfere with the relationship between the employer and his staff.”

These comments prefaced a report made to the annual conference of the New Zealand Federated Builders’ and Contractors’ Industrial Association on the Auckland carpenters’ dispute by Mr R. C. Savory, for the Auckland master builders, this morning. Government departments, he said, had adopted a policy of refusing to employ any additional labour at all during the dispute. “The spontaneous co-operation of non-union builders and other employers, together with the Minister of Labour’s categorical statement and the further crushing rejoinder to Mr Stanley emphasises that the decision to resist was the only possible and right one,” Mr Savory said. “Your executive has been in unofficial communication with the Government whose representatives have warmly applauded the builders’ stand. This general support is in striking contrast to the union’s frantic and unsuccessful efforts to enlist general trade onion support and public sympathy on the union’s side. “The only real support the Carpenters’ Union leaders have obtained is that of the drivers’ and waterside workers’ unions, which are notoriously willing to seize on the flimsiest of pretexts to cause trouble. We must continue to stand absolutely firm to keep faith with ourselves, other builders throughout New Zealand, other employers who are supporting us, the Government, which has now ranged itself quite unmistakably against the union officials, and a large section of the carpenters who are endeavouring to articulate their views.

“Members must beai’ in mind that this is not a question of an extra 2Jd hourly—the issue is whether there is to be any industrial stability and whether one party to awards will accept them in the same way as we are expected to accept them.” The following resolution was. subsequently approved:—“That this conference approves the action taken by the Auckland Builders’ Association to uphold the principles of the Arbitration Court and law and order; that we congratulate them on the efficient organisation and solidarity achieved and assure them of the wholehearted support of the builders of New Zealand.”

(Earlier Messages on Page 2.)