SIX MEMBERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26558, 5 September 1947, Page 4

SIX MEMBERS

DECISION MADE WATERFRONT CONTROL EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT LIKELY Industrial Correspondent WELLINGTON, Sept. 4. A decision to set up a commission of six to govern the waterfront industry will be announced by the Government soon—possibly within a week. Details were under discussion at a conference at Parliament Buildings this morning at which representatives of the New Zealand Waterside Employers' Association and the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union met the Acting Prime Minister, Mr Nash, and the Minister of Labour, Mr McLagan. Although the employers and the union differed on the constitution of the commission, they came away from the conference with understanding and acceptance, of the Government’s intentions on practically all the major points. The new commission of six will comprise a chairman appointed by the Government, one Government advisory member without a vote, two employers’ representatives and two union representatives. The , only variation from the original agreement between the Minister and the union is a decision that one of the Government nominees will enjoy only an advisory capacity, and that will leave the effective distributing of voting at two for the employers and two for the workers, with the chairman holding the balance. The new plan is in effect on tne same pattern as the commission which broke up in January last, but with the addition of the advisory member. The employers asked for a commission of three, which they considered less cumbersome. They opposed the original plan for the appointment of six members, all with voting power. The employers also asked for the appointment of a judge as chairman, but the workers opposed this, and it is believed in any case that there would be difficulty in securing a judge for the office. There was no settlement oh the question whether the chairman should be a judge or on the term of office of the commission. These matters the Government will deal with further. Throughout the discussions it has been the aim of the Minister to secure an understanding and acceptance by both employers and workers’ organisations of a form of constitution for the new commission. It is likely that he will have this in time to make an announcement with little further delay. The president of the Waterside Workers’ Union. Mr H. Barnes, the vice-president, Mr A. Drennan, and the secretary, Mr T. Hill, comprised the union delegation at this morning's talks. They visited a full stop-work meeting, before the conference, of the Wellington branch of the union, and were accorded a vote of confidence.