WAGES OF WATERSIDERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20425, 29 November 1929, Page 14

WAGES OF WATERSIDERS.

PROTEST BY FEDERATION.

COMPLAINT AGAINST COURT

[BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] GREYMOUTH, Thursday.

The conference of the. New Zea!anß Waterside Workers' Federation has concluded. The following resolutions were passed:— "(1) That this annual meeting of delegates of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Federation, representing 6000 waterside workers throughout New Zealand, enters a most emphatic protest against the unjust basic wage awarded waterside workers by Mr. Justice Blair, while acting as president of the Court of Arbitration. The wages data submitted to the Court by the federation and employers of waterside labour clearly indicated that workers engaged in this industry were entitled to a substantial increase in wages, but it seems that the Judge and the employers' representative on the Court ignored the wages data submitted both by the employers' representative and by the workers' representative. "The conference also protests against the action of Justice Blair and the employers' representative, Mr. Schmidt, in refusing to adopt the principle laid down by Justice Frazer in 1924, when fixing wages for waterside workers. If this basis had been adopted the Court would havo been compelled to award an increase in wages to men engaged in loading and discharging ships-. Further, the delegates, after reading the memorandum of the Judge in the Court of' Arbitration, in reference to the basis of fixing wages, and particularly wages of waterside workers, are unanimously of opinion that tho trade union movement of this country cannot any longer have confidence in the' Court of Arbitration. We call upon the Government to institute immediately a special inquiry to investigate tho. hours worked and wages earned by waterside workers throughout the Dominion. "(2) That this conference, after investigating fully the wages data submitted, considers it its duty to in form ■ waterside workers throughout New Zealand that they .tre entitled'to a substantial increase in the. basic wage.' We are of opinion that the "award given by the ; Court will create discontent in tho industry."