LOSSES OF WAGES ON WATERFRONT FROM STOPPAGES

Grey River Argus, 8 October 1949, Page 5

LOSSES OF WAGES ON WATERFRONT FROM STOPPAGES

P.A. WELLINGTON, Oct 7. During the 12 months ended March 31 last, 2.25 per cent of a total of 13,000,000 hours worked on the water front were lost through stoppages, being an increase of 0.47 per cent on the year 1947-48. This was stated in the annual report of the Waterfront Industry Commission, presented to the House of Representatives today. Seventy-six per cent, or 223,653 man-hours, out of a total of 294,616 lost in 1948-49, were lost at Auckland —principally in the “Mountpark” and “Broompark” hatch dispute, and “Northumberland” boycott. The other major dispute was the series of short duration stoppages at various ports as a. protest against the interim decision granting the Sid per hour wages increase, compared with the Union claim for Is per hour. During 1947-48 and • 1948-49, the report records, all of the major disputes had originated at Auckland. Since April 1, 1949, a further major dispute had originated at Auckland and it had extended to other ports. The Auckland watersiders had lest £165,101 in wages, or 3.08 d per hour for all of the watersiders employed there in two years for the months from April 1, 1947. The loss of wages at all ports for the same period totalled £267,510, or 1.7 d per hour for all waterside workers throughout