AUCKLAND WHARVES

Grey River Argus, 11 September 1940, Page 3

AUCKLAND WHARVES

NEW CONTROL SCHEME Co-operation Encc-zaged I’Per Press Association] AUCKLAND, September 10. The new waterfront control scheme will come into operation at Auckland on Thursday next and within a fewweeks at all other Dominion ports at which overseas vessels call. This statement was made to-day by the chairman of the Waterfront Control Commission (Mr R. E. Price). Later, the scheme will be extended to other vessels, the ultimate aim being to bring all ports, vessels and waterside workers within its scope. Mr J. Roberts, a member of the Waterfront Commission, arrived this morning and, with Mr Price will address a stop-work meeting of the watersiders to-morrow morning, in order to explain the details of the scheme. Both will return to Wellington to-morrow evening. Mr Price said to-day that one of the first actions of the Commission was to remove some of the causes which had given rise to discontent among the men. Wage rates were adjusted to restore to the watersiders the relative position they had held in comparison with other industrial ■workers in New Zealand for a long peiiod prior to September, 1937. “Incidentally, the relative position has again been lost by the recent pronouncement of the Court, and appli-1 cations for adjustment have been made, and will come up for adjust-, ment shortly,’’ said Mr Price, The next step which the Commission took, he added, was to substitute the hourly wage system, which discouraged speedier working by paying wages on the time basis, with a method which would give the greatest reward lo those who would contribute their best effort. The Commission considered that the method by which this could be best achieved was that known as cooperative contracting, and this method was accordingly adopted in a modified form, and was tried out in Wellington in June on the Port Darwin, and was subsequently extended to all other overseas vessels calling at Wellington. The result was instantly successful, due to the co-operation freely given by the majority of the men. There were, however, influences at work to discredit the Commission, and any scheme making for a change. However, opposition was dwindling as more ships were being worked under the scheme, and its advantages were becoming more apparent.

Experience to date amply demonstrated that co-operation was worth encouraging, and every opportunity would be afforded to the waterside workers in Auckland to demonstrate their ability to do the job equally as well as their fellow-unionists in the south. The scheme had also been tried at Timaru, Picton and Bluff, and the speed of handling cargoes, together with the earning capacity of the men, showed increases of from nine to 90 per cent. The South Island, to date, had shown most gratifying results, but it was expected that the men at certain North Island ports, who are eager to work under the scheme, will show equally good results.