LABOUR DISPUTE NOT SETTLED

Southland Times, Issue 23377, 8 December 1937, Page 6

LABOUR DISPUTE NOT SETTLED

No Work on Auckland Waterfront

SHIPPING COMPANIES DISTURBED

employment of carriers THREATENED (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, December 7. With the failure of the representatives of both parties to reach an agreement at two joint meetings which were held today, the labour dispute which is crippling cargo operations on the Auckland waterfront is continuing. Another meeting of the parties will be held tomorrow. The number of ships now involved is 24, and further arrivals will be affected tomorrow if a settlement is not reached. Because of the weather no work would have been done on the waterfront in any case today and no call for labour was made from the Watersiders’ Bureau. This alone caused a further delay to shipping and if the wet weather continues even an agreement between the parties will not greatly assist the shipping companies to make up the time which has been lost.

The joint conference between the representatives of the employers and the watersiders began about 8 o’clock this morning. It was attended by Captain R. S. Lewis,, chairman of the Port of Auckland Shipping and Stevedores’ Association, Mr C. B. V. Wheeler, manager of the Union Steam Ship Company in Auckland, and Mr W. H. G. Bennett, representing the Wellington shipping interests, and by three representatives of the Auckland Waterside Workers’ Union, Mr T. Solomon, president, Mr R. Jones, vice-president, and Mr W. J. Cuthbert. After discussing the position the representatives of the union retired to meet the members of the union. Another meeting with the employers’ representatives was then held, but no agreement could be reached and the meeting was adjourned, it being 'proposed to hold another conference tomorrow. MEETING OF UNION A meeting of executive members of the union was held this afternoon to discuss the position, but no statement was made. The union, however, got into touch with the secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Federation, Mr J. Roberts, of Wellington, and he is expected to arrive in Auckland in the morning to discuss the position. The further delay in the settlement has placed the shipping companies in a quandary with their ships due to leave direct for overseas or to go to other New Zealand ports to continue loading or discharging. They, said they could not make many of their sailings definite. This, in turn,, would react unfavourably upon those interests with valuable cargo either on board or due to be shipped, and it was necessary that a settlement should be reached as soon as possible. Lack of employment for a number ot men whose livelihood is dependent on the regular working of ships in port was visualized by officials of several firms with interests on the waterfront. Already one firm has issued a provisional dismissal notice to its carriers, numbering about 50, and although other firms who were approached have not yet considered the question they said such a course of action was a possibility if the dispute became indefinitely protracted. On behalf of the firm of J. J. Craig, Ltd., which does a proportion of carrying work to and. from the wharf sheds for the loading and discharging of shipping, it was stated that a provisional week’s notice as from last night had been issued as a precautionary measure to all its drivers. Only a few of the men were regularly employed doing wharf work, but the action had been taken in case the dispute should make it necessary for the men who were paid weekly to be transferred to casual work. The notice was contingent upon the dispute continuing for at least another week, but if a settlement should be reached before next Tuesday the notice would automatically be cancelled. The amount of work done by the men on wharf trucks naturally depended upon the amount of cargo to be handled, and this was decreasing with the continuance of the stoppage on the waterfront. Other carrying firms stated that no _ such action had yet been taken by them. DISCUSSION BY HARBOUR BOARD “Are we to sit by and leave the question in the hands of those who interfere with the trade of the port with impunity,” observed Mr H. Luke at a meeting of the Auckland Harbour Board when passing reference was made to the waterfront dispute. He asked whether the board should not have an interest in the matter in view of the fact that shipping was disorganized. . Answering Mr R. T. Reid, who inquired if a settlement had been reached, the chairman, the Hon. T. Bloodworth, M.L.C., said there had been no official announcement to the board. However, he understood a conference had been held in the morning and another would be held tomorrow. Referring to Mr Luke’s comment, he said the board had a very direct interest in the dispute, but the present stage was not opportune to interfere as negotiations were proceeding between the parties directly concerned. At this time the board could give no real assistance.