GUARANTEED WAGES

Grey River Argus, 29 November 1946, Page 4

GUARANTEED WAGES

FOR N.Z. WATERSIDERS £25 Per Month JUDGE ONGLEY’S DECISION P.A. WELLINGTON, Nov. 28. The decision of the Waterfront Industry Commission of proposals and counter proposals made in regain to-the payment of attendance money to, and a guaranteed wage for, waterside workers, was issued to-night by the chairman of the Commission (Mr Justice F. W. Ongley). The general principle of the decision is:— (1) That men required to attend for employment should receive reasonable payment for attending if they are not- given employment. (2) That men required to give service to industry should get a reasonable livelihood in return for such service. (3) That the labour force for the industry should be efficient, regular and mobile. (4) That there should be no waste of labour in the industry, and that all of the services paid for should be fairly rendered. “From a practical point of view,” the decision continues, “it is not possible to bring all of these principles fully into operation now, and it may always be difficult to do so. . Decasualisation of the waterfront is an old problem. From time to time, attempts have been made to solve it, but so far no practical solution has been found. The commission’s view Is that the trend should be towards recasualisation. With this in view, the commission has decided: — (A) That union waterside workers (other than those members on Social Security) who are required to attend for engagment, and who do attend, but are not engaged for work entitling them to wage payment from the commencement of the call, shall be paid an attendance payment for the period of call at the general cargo rate applicable for the day, with a maximum of two hours, and a minimum of one hour for each call, provided that any wage payment made covering the period of call, or any part of that period shall be deducted from the attendance payment so that both a wage payment and an attendance payment are not made for same period of time. (B) That A Grade waterside workers at all main ports and such secondary ports as from time to time may be determined, who comply with the conditions laid down in the Bureau rules, or, at ports where no Bureau is established, such conditions ■as may be determined by the Port Committee, shall be guaranteed work in each four-weekly period to the value of twenty-five pounds; or, failing the provision of such work, shall be' paid that sum at the end of such period, less the value of the work offered and the attendance payments made. A similar provision is made for B Grade workers, with the substitution of twenty-one pounds as the payment, to be made. (C) Before the foregoing decisions (A) and (B) are put into operation, (1) There shall be a reasonable relaxation in the present restrictions on the transfer and mobility of labour involving (A) Amendments to Clauses Seventeen and Twentv of the Commission's main order to enable the services of any man, men of gangs to be transferred, or dispensed with, at the completion of work for the day, whenever it is no longer practicable to efficiently employ such man, men or gangs on the jobs for which they were engaged, or to which they have been transferred, and thereby release labour for other vessels. (B) Amendments to Clause Twenty-two of the Commission’s main Order and Order Number 115, affecting the Wellington Harbour Board, to enable a relaxation in the present restriction on the transfer and mobility of labour. (2) The system, known as spelling, in operation at some ports, whereby, in some cases, men work hour about, is to cease, and a reasonable method to ibe adopted for men to relieve ione another during reasonable “Smoko” periods. “To bring these decisions into operation will involve alterations to the commission’s main order, and a considerable amount of administration work, as well as provision for finance. It may also be necessary for representatives of the commission to visit various ports. The decision, however, will be brought into effect at each port as soon as is practicable.”