McLagan States Waterfront Terms

Northern Advocate, 16 July 1949, Page 7

McLagan States Waterfront Terms

WELLINGTON. Sat., (Sp.L—-Aban-donment of the present disobedience of the decision of the Waterfront Industry Commission, and t.he immediate resumption of normal work art two conditions required before the restoration of commission control at the port of Auckland can be effected. If these conditions were met the Government would be prepared to give immediate consideration to a request by the Waterside Workers’ Union for the reintroduction of commission control. This decision has been conveyed in a letter from the Minister of Labour (Mr McLagan) to the national secretary of the union (Mr T. Hill). The union had written to the Minister. saying that its policy was for a continuance of the present system of waterfront control. It added, however, that this could not be continued successfully until the port of Auckland was again covered by the Waterfront Industry Commission, and the Waterfront Emergency Regulations were repealed. IMPLIED ACCEPTANCE In his reply. Mr McLagan said that the statement that the union’s policy was for the continuance of commission control implied its acceptance of all the general and local orders and decisions of these two bodies.

The union had pledged itself to accept these as a condition of the establishment of the Waterfront Authority.

This, however, was not the policy which had been carried out by the union, which had disobeyed the main order about hours of work and other decisions. The Minister added that the Government’s decision to suspend the powers of the commission and tire authority at Auckland was due entirely to the deliberate action of the Auckland branch in its concerted breach of the commission’s main order by refusing to work overtime. The Union’s request for a restoration of commission control at Auck-land-was not strengthened by the reaction of the Auckland branch.