NO SETTLEMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23405, 22 July 1939, Page 16

NO SETTLEMENT

'.V ♦ > FURTHER CONFERENCE . . FERTILISER STRIKE DISPUTES ACT INVOKED ' COMMITTEE' TO BE SET UP Following cancellation of- the registration/of the Otahuhu Chemical Workers' Union under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, as a consequence of legislation put through Parliament this week, employers' and workers' interests ' held a conference yesterday afternoon under the Labour Disputes Investigation, Act. It was convened- under procedure outlined in .the Act by the Conciliation Commissioner, Mr. R. E. Price, and, after a discussion .lasting .an hour and a-half, no agreement-was reached on the matteis in dispute which caused , the strike at the chemical manure works at Otahuhu, Wesffiekkand Te'Papapa. Th 4 conference agreed, however, to set up, a Labour Disputes Committee under the provisions of the Act, Mr. Price subsequently announcing-that the Minister of Labour, the Hon. P. C. Webb, would appoint the chairman. On the Appointment of a chairman, the parties''' are prepared that the committee should meet this 'afternoon or on Sunday'in order to-deal with the dispute, it'being felt that no time should be lost in endeavouring to reconcile the differences that exist. ■ ' l n Procedure 'Under'Act •'< The appointment of a disputes committee, following a meeting; of . the parties presided over by a Conciliation Commissioner, is in pursuance of section '-o,of the Labour Disputes Investigation Act. Thjs sect-ion,..states that the committee shall consist of not less than three nor mowrthan"seven members. ; n r " ' " ' , The' members of the committee, other than the chairman, shall be appointeu respectively by the society or societies of workers* whor are parties to the dispute, and by the-employers, each side appointing an equal number. 1 lie per- ' sons appointed shall forthwith elect some other person' as- chairman, in the ''event erffailure' to 'elect tv chairman within'"two" 'days after appointment, the Minister shall proceed to do 60. ''' Levy by Federation At yesterday's* unsuccessful conference, Mr. 'Anderson; secretary of the Association, ' - was spokesman 'i for?;she femplpyers., Mr.-, F. • G. Young,'/president of the AucklandCouncil of.tbe jederation of Labour,', ■was spokesman for The cbilhpil' of the/federation, on the recommendation <if its /disputes committee, organisations to<:niafie" ! a;'contribution to the strike fimdsuLof'. the e'guivaleut of: Is' a member. So far £3OO has been raised by the 'federation; .and -it is. prpposed to pay eacfr: worker involved •in the strike £1 ..this, , morning.. . The totalnumber of v men ' involved is . given.; as, ' .250: 7-'- ; \VAGGONS REQUIRED 1000 LYING AT SIDINGS REQUEST .BY DEPARTMENT , PROBLEM OF - UNLOADING The release of a large number of railways waggons nt present loaded with TOck phosphate, the discbarge of which has- been delated because of the. strike at the fertiliser works at Otahuhu, Te Papapa and Westfield, is being sought by the Railway 'Department! Loaded waggons are to be seen on every siding between Auckland and Westfield. Between 5000 and 6000 tons of rock phosphate / contained in -1000 waggons is lying idle. ■ '

The general manager-of< th.s department,* W.Gi H._ Mackley, is reported to have approached the companies and other interested parties, pointing out that the waggons have already been lying idle for some time, and suggesting that they -be released. The unloading of- the waggons is presenting a problem,. Free labour, it is stated, would have to be used to unload them, and if this step was taken it might result in repercussions in other industries. .

Although the timber and coal traffic at this time of the year is heavy, other traffic on -the railways during the,rwinter is light. Consequently, the idleness of the rolling stock loaded with phosphate is not creating as serious a problem at present as it might at another the year. The department, however, cle-. sires to have this rolling stock avail-' able. Shipping at the port has increased in the past week, and, although this is regarded, merely as a temporary fluctuation, it has increased the demand on rolling stock. Rock phtfsphate, not having an acid content, it is stated, will not affect the metal,in the' waggons'during the period of idleness.