Auckland Dispute— NO PROGRESS MADE IN NEGOTIATIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 March 1949, Page 2

Auckland Dispute— NO PROGRESS MADE IN NEGOTIATIONS

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, March 14. No progress was made today in negotiations between the national council of the New Zealand Carpenters’ and Joiners’ Union and the national executive of the Federation of Labour on the federation’s proposal that it should handle the carpenters’ dispute. The Carpenters’ Union national council will remain in Wellington tomorrow morning, but there is no certainty whether another meeting with the federation will be held. Involved in the dispute because the Auckland branch of the Waterside Workers’ Union refuses to unload her cargo of soda ash for the boycotted glassworks, the steamer Northumberland has been declared a preference ship by the Waterfront Industry Authority. If watersiders allocated to the vessel refuse to work her, fresh labour cannot be engaged for other ships in port, except to handle vitally necessary commodities. The last time a preference declaration was made was during the Mountpark disputes last year. While railwaymen today observed their decision to abandon the boycott, the watersiders strictly enforced the ban preventing the loading of butter and cheese for the United Kingdom and the discharge of material for the Otahuhu railway workshops and the soda ash. Requisitioned by a group of drivers, a special stop-work meeting of the Drivers’ Union will be held on Thursday to consider rescinding the union’s decision to join in the boycott against employers who will not engage out-of-work carpenters. PREFERENCE SHIP DECISION BY WHARF AUTHORITY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, March 14. The steamer Northumberland has been declared a preference ship by the Waterfront Industry Authority, the decision to take effect forthwith. The authority’s ruling is the result of an application to the Auckland Port Committee by the Port of Auckland Shipping and Stevedores’ Association after the refusal of labour employed to carry on work on the morning of March 3 as part of the boycott of employers refusing to engage dismissed carpenters. The authority’s decision states that the port committee ruled that, as the matter was one of national significance, it be referred to the ,Waterfront Industry Commission. The commission gave the dispute urgent consideration and referred it to the authority for a decision. The decision was announced today by the chairman of the authority (Judge Dalglish), who said that the union representatives on the authority, Messrs H. Barnes and T. Hill, desired him to- record their dissent from the ruling. The preference is to be subject to the provision of the minimum requirements of labour to handle commodities essential to the life of the community. It is to continue till the Waterfront Industry Commission, is satisfied that normal work will be resumed on the Northumberland. The commission is directed to suspend daily attendance money and the weekly guaranteed wages in- the port of Auckland while the Northumberland is a preference ship.