Back To Normal Methods On The Waterfront

Greymouth Evening Star, 22 August 1949, Page 4

Back To Normal Methods On The Waterfront

WELLINGTON, This Day (P.A.). —Normal hours of work, including overtime, have been resumed at all ports.

This was announced today by the Minister of Labour, Mr McLagan. “The Government had previously intimated to the national union that the restoration of commission control required the abandonment of disobedience of the commission’s decisions and the immediate resumption of normal work,” said the Minister. “On this being done the Government stated that it would be prepared to give immediate consideration to the reintroduction of commission control and the benefits which went with it. “The Government has accordingly restored the commisison form of control at all ports on and from today.” An Auckland message says that nearly 200 non-union waterfront workers could not be employed this morning, although the wharves and harbour are crowded with a record tonnage of shipping. Union workers on Friday provided almost a full complement for all ships that could be worked. They seemed pleased to be handling cargo again. Non-union-ists fill the gaps in their ranks, but only 120 were needed today. Some of the ships at the wharves, which are Completion of cargo operations, worked a reduced number of hatches. Coal, wheat, and phosphate ships which have been discharging by grab required fewer workers today. It is expected that more ships will be working to capacity tomorrow. Talks between the national executive of the New Zealand Watersiders’ Union and the Minister of Labour will be held on Wednesday. This was stated in Wellington today by the secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, Mr T. Hill, who declined to ’comment on Mr McLagan’s announcement that the commis-® sion form of control has been restored at all Dominion ports.