PORT DISPUTE AT PATEA

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 5 September 1932, Page 4

PORT DISPUTE AT PATEA

NEW TERN IN DEVELOPMENTS CONSIGNMENT DECLARED BLACK WELLINGTON WATEHSIDERS’ ACTION. A new development in the shipping dispute at Pa tea is the action of Wellington watersidens oil Saturday in declaring “black” 25 cases of hams Vailed to that port by the West Coast ’Refrigerating Company on nohalf of Vacuum Products, Limited, Hawera. The hams were for export to England 'and were to have been forwarded- by the Federal steamer Cambridge. During the week-end' Air T. Glover, '-president of the New Zealand Water-, side Workers’ Federation, visited Pa tea and on Saturday afternoon spoke at a combined meeting of waterside rs and employees- of tlie West Coast Refrigerating Company. In the audience were five men who were dismissed from the company's employ for refusing to unload the Hawera, which was in port during the hold-up. It is understood that the attitude of the Patea watersiders is that no ■negotiations with the shipping company will be considered by the men unless the five dismissed men are first reinstated.

Mr A. T. Christensen, chairman of the Patea Harbour Board, visited Hawera to-day to discuss the position with Mr J. R. Corrigan, chairman of directors of the West Coast Refrigerating Company, in the hope of effecting a satisfactory settlement. A deputation representative of Patea business interests will also wait on a meeting of the company directors to-morrow morning.

rtotwitlisLanding the promise made by the Waterside Workers’ Federation, when work was resumed on August 23, following the general stoppages, hold-ups have since occurred at all four main ports, states' the “Dominion.” Work was resumed on that date, pending a further discussion of certain clauses in the employers’ proposed agreement, under tlie old conditions, -but at the new rates' of pay, this arrangement having been agreed to by both parties. Further negotiations have so far failed to bring about an agreement between the two parties, and the conference will he resumed on "Wednesday morning. Each of the five stoppages since the resumption, of work has taken the form of the refusal to work overtime, and when overtime has been called- for the following day on the same ship the men have in at least two ealses accepted the terms they refused the previous day. In addition to the partial hold-ups, it is stated that the men working •some ships, principally overseals- liners, have not actually ‘‘gone slow,” but have not handled the same quantity of cargo- in a set time as was usual before the general .stoppage.