DISPUTE ARISES

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23321, 3 October 1945, Page 4

DISPUTE ARISES

Loading Of Ship Held Up (N.Z.P.A.) AUCKLAND, Oct. 2. Owing to a dispute over the employment or two wmcnnien, ail work ceased on the Blue Star Line steamer Empire Falkland at 5 o clock on Monday night, and nas not yet been resumed. The ship was loading produce for Great Britain and was expected to sail next Friday. 'lne trouble arose last Wednesday when a gang working with the ships gear were converted to a crane gang and the winches were dispensed with. The two winchmen were transferred to other work but did not accept it and were dismissed. The whole gang concerned stopped work at 5 o’clock on Friday night and all other men employed on the ship ceased at 5 o’clock on Monday. A special stop-work meeting of the Auckland Waterside Workers’ Union confirmed their attitude, and resolved that the ship would not be worked until a settlement acceptable to the Union was reached. The practice for some years has been to transfer winchmen rendered idle by the use of cranes to other work on the ship within the limit of their classifications. The Union recently objected to this practice and a dispute was created. The Disputes Committee forwarded the matter to the Waterfront Control Commission for decision. The Commission upheld the employers' view that the winchmen should be transferred to other work which they were used to performing and not be kept idle. After the present, dispute arose a meeting was held between the employers and the Union on Monday morning, but there was no settlement The Waterfront Control Commission’s decision that the emnloyers were within their rights in dismissing the men was not acceptable to the Union, said the president, Mr H. Barnes. The matter has been referred to the Waterfront Control Commission in Wellington. '