Differential Pay Opposed by Watersiders

Grey River Argus, 21 March 1947, Page 7

Differential Pay Opposed by Watersiders

DUNEDIN, March 18.

The Port Chalmers Waterside Workers’ Union, which supplies most of the labour for a wool store operated by the Shaw, Savill, Albion Company at Port Chalmers, decided yesterday that, unless non-union labour at the wool stores is paid at the same rate as union labour, no work will be done at the stores. The secretary of the Port Chalmeis Waterside Workers' Union, Mi. James Bain, claimed that an agreement with the union of over 30 years’ standing had been broken by the management of the Shaw, Savill Company through its decisions to pay union labour supplied by the Wateisiders’ Union at 3s sid an hour for ordinary time and non-union labour 3s an hour, plus the two cost-of-liv-ing bonuses. The contended that the union should create a dispute over the matter, stated Mr. Bain, but the union regarded it as a matter of confirming past procedure. The attitude adopted by the union would not have any effect on the wool stores in Dunedin.

Representatives of the company denied any knowledge of the matter when it was referred to" them.