LABOUR DISPUTE AT AUCKLAND

Southland Times, Issue 23379, 10 December 1937, Page 4

LABOUR DISPUTE AT AUCKLAND

WATERSIDERS BLAMED FOR HOLD-UP (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, December 9. “There is not the slightest doubt that the men acted wrongly,” said Mr W. H. G. Bennett, of Wellington, general secretary of the ,New Zealand Watersiders’ Employers’ ’Association, in replying to a statement about the recent waterfront dispute made on Wednesday by Mr T. Solomon, president of the Auckland Waterside Workers’ Union. Mr Solomon stated that the men still thought they had been acting in a proper manner in the circumstances, although it had been obvious that there had been faults on each side. “When the men took their disks they entered into a contract to perform certain work,” Mr Bennett said. “They decided in a body not to carry that contract out and informed the employer that they would not obey the terms of the engagement and start at 6 o’clock that night, but would start when it suited them, at 8 o’clock next day. This was the cause of the whole dispute. In the terms of the award the hours of engagement at the port of Auckland are from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and the bureau is entitled during these hours to exhibit the engagement board. This was done. That this procedure was correct is shown by the men lifting their disks without complaining in any way at the time. “I am surprised at Mr Solomon mtroducing the question whether _ the settlement was a victory for either side,” Mr Bennett continued. ‘ Mr Solomon is quite aware that a settlement was arrived at according to the conditions of the award and the rules of the bureau system. The stand taken by the employers from the beginning that the rules of the bureau system must be carried out was endorsed by both sides in the settlement reached. Mr Bennett left for Wellington by air at noon. DIFFICULTY IN ALLOTTING WHARF SPACE (Special to The Times) AUCKLAND, December 9. Largely because of the cessation of work on many overseas ships during the waterfront dispute the greatest difficulty is being experienced by the Auckland Harbour Board in allotting wharf space to incoming overseas ships. Every berth was occupied today and one ship, the Sydney Maru, had to load for Japan at the western wharf, an unusual procedure. Tomorrow two overseas vessels will lie in the stream. No berth will be available tomorrow for the British steamer Harmanteh, which will arrive from Wellington to finish discharge of her wheat cargo from Geelong, and she will mot go alongside the wharf until Saturday. An unexpected arrival, the Hain Company’s Tregenna, has been diverted to Auckland to bunker on her voyage from Cairns to Britain. She will arrive in the morning and will anchor in the stream to be coaled from a hulk.