“STUPID” HOLD-UP -COMMENT BY EXUNION SECRETARY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22690, 15 July 1948, Page 6

“STUPID” HOLD-UP -COMMENT BY EXUNION SECRETARY

(P.A.)

WELLINGTON, July 15,

“I have seen many industrial disputes created both by employers and by workers which were stupid, but I have never seen one so stupid as the one holding up the port of Auckland at the present tim,e,” said Mr. J. Roberts in the Address-in-Replv debate in the Legislative Council yesterday. Mr. Roberts, who is president of the New Zealand Labour Party and a former secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, said that if the dispute was won by either side it would not matter a row of tacks.

Every stoppage of work and every case of go-slow in production meant less in the national pool of wealth, and more could not be taken out of that pool than .was put into it. He could understand industrial troubles in the past, but today there was full employment, reasonable wages and a high living standard and every facility was given for the adjustment of industrial disputes. Yet troubles still continued, and if they persisted the valuable conditions of employment cherished by the workers would be lost.

GOVERNMENT DOES NOT SEEK VICTORY BY ATTRITION

WELLINGTON, July 14

“There is no intention on the part of the Government to reduce in any way the savings of the Auckland waterside workers. On the contrary, during the term of office of the present Government they have been able for the first time to save very considerably" said the Prime Minister. Mr. P, Fraser, in the House of Representatives this afternoon, replying to a question by Mr. R. M. Algie (Oppos-, Remuera). Mr. Algie had asked whether it was the policy or desire of the Government that the settlement of the Auckland waterfront dispute should be secured by exhausting the savings of the men and by reducing them to submission by a process of attrition. Now that the voting powers of the Government on the Control Commission had been enlarged, could a speedier, better and more humane method of settlement be hoped for, the question continued. Watersiders’ earnings had risen from £2 18s lOd a week in 1932-33 and £4 4s 2d a week in 1935-3 G to £lO 13s 7d in 1947-48 said Mr. Fraser.

“By refusing to handle the hatchet of the Mountpark. which were handled by waterside workers in other ports of New Zealand and Australia, they are under bad leadership and have voluntarily and misguidedly inflicted on themselves the penalty of refusing to earn wages which are available. “To end this deplorable state of affairs with its self-inflicted penalties a tribunal to decide the matters at issue in the dispute and presided over by a Supreme Court judge has been offered to the men concerned. “The savings of the Auckland waterside workers concerned can be safeguarded by a commonsense acceptance of the Government’s offer,” concluded the Prime Minister.