OYSTER DISPUTE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 43, 20 February 1941, Page 5

OYSTER DISPUTE

GOVERNMENT’S THREAT TO ACT SETTLEMENT DESIRED 1 Per Press Association. 1 INVERCARGILL. Feb. 19. The threat of Government intervention it both parties in the oyster dispute is not settled immediately, is contained in a telegram received by merchants to-day. The merchants sent messages tonight to the Prime Minister. Hon. P. Fraser, and the Minister of Labour, Hon. P. C. Webb, stating the terms on which they are willing that an agreement should be concluded. A representative of the merchants stated to-night that he had hopes of a settlement being reached to-mor-row. The merchants received a telegram from the secretary of the Wholesale Fish Merchants’ Association, who Is also a member of the Fisheries Advisory Committee to the Bureau of Industry. It stated that the Government had instructed both parties to proceed with an agreement forthwith. Failing a settlement the Government would intervene in the dispute. A full meeting of merchants was held to-night to consider the telegram and it decided to inform the Ministers that they were agreeable to a renewal of the terms of employment fixed by the Industrial Court after I the dispute in June last year. If the contract for renewal is in entirety, file merchants will be prepared to grant a cost of living bonus of five per cent, retrospective from August 12 last year. They hoped that in these circumstances the Government would instruct the men to take the oyster boats to sea. It is stated I hat the merchants have been prepared to offer these tertns since last November. Information was not available tonight whether the men received a similar advice of the Government’s intention to intervene if the dispute is not sett icq.