Freezing Workers Advice

Northern Advocate, 14 January 1947, Page 4

Freezing Workers Advice

(P.A.) AUCKLAND, This Day. THE first large body of trade unionists in Auckland to advise the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union against its attitude in the waterfront dispute are the freezing workers.

At a special meeting the freezing workers decided to urge the watersiders to resume normal hours and overtime work with a view to having their claims resubmitted to the Waterfront Industry Commission.

The freezing workers’ decision is, in effect, an endorsement of the Prime Minister’s offer that the watersiders’ claims be reconsidered immediately overtime work is resumed.

No work will be done on the Auck-

land waterfront tomorrow as the waterside workers, are holding their annual picnic at Point Chevalier. At the same time their leaders will be conferring in Wellington. Because tomorrow, the normal payday. will be a holiday, the men received their wages today for the first week’s work since the orders,' directions and decisions of the Waterfront Industry Commission were suspended by the Government. Although the suspension amounted to a cancellation of their award, the men’s pay has been made out at the usual rate of 3/51 an hour, plus the normal extra rates for working special cargoes.

Men who have been handling only general cargo will receive £6/18/4 gross, or £6/4/6 after taxation deductions have been made.

ADDITIONAL PAY Many waterside workers have been engaged on frozen cargo, \ r j which they receive Gel an hour extra, or a gross additional payment of £1 for the 40-hour week.

For discharging phosphate the men are paid lOd an hour extra, but there was not a full week’s work on phosphate. Over 10,000 tickets have been issued for tomorrow’s picnic, according to officials of the Auckland union.

They do not expect that number will attend, but state that theirs is the largest union picnic in New Zealand.

The waterside workers will entertain a party of blind children for the day.

Five basic items for discussion appear on the agenda of the extraordinary conference of the Federation of Labour called by the federation executive to begin in the Trades Hall, Wellington, on January 21. A circular issued to affiliated" organisations assures delegates to the conference that measures are being taken to provide for travel facilities and accommodation.

SERIOUS POSITION “In view of the seriousness of the present industrial situation, and the future of the trade union movement.’’ said the circular to affiliations, “you are urged immediately to bring this extraordinary conference, its date and purpose, before members of your organisation and to send delegates to the conference.”

The final item on the agenda for tomorrow is: "To examine the future national economy of New Zealand and to determine the place of the Federation of Labour in connection with industrial activities, with a view to ensuring the progressive development of ;he Labour movement and the Dominion."