EMPLOYERS’ REPLY

Waikato Times, Volume 126, Issue 21041, 17 February 1940, Page 5

EMPLOYERS’ REPLY

WATERSIDE DISPUTES DIRECT ACTION DEPRECATED (By Telegraph.—rress Association) WELLINGTON, Friday Replying to the statement by Mr J. Roberts on the shipping trouble at Auckland, Mr W. H. Bennett, secretary of the Waterside Employers’ Association, says that what concerns the employers is the growing tendency among the members of the Watersiders’ Union to adopt direct action instead of referring disputes to be dealt with by the proper machinery. i He quotes the provision of the award which states: “The essence of the award being that work shall always proceed as if no dispute had arisen, disputes or differences as they arise are to be referred to the local committee. The decision of the majority shall be binding, and if there is no decision then the matter shall be referred to the National Disputes Committee in Wellington.” The local committee in Auckland not having reached a decision, the dispute should have come to Wellington, but direct action was adopted. ! Mr Bennett said the men were not 1 dismissed. They were told work was ! there available, but payments ceased ! from the time they refused to coni tinue. Controversy About Award With reference to the controversy about an award not having been made. Mr Bennett says Mr Roberts’ i endeavours to belittle the employers’ , proposal to provide an incentive to j the men engaged in loading Dominion | produce in overseas ships by giving them increased payments for any ad- ; ditional effort. This, Mr Bennett ' says, was an honest attempt by the employers to introduce a scheme to ; benefit the men by giving them the i opportunity of earning better wages. ; The employers had taken Jhe stand ! that owing to differences of opinion ! in connection with the new award, i the questions at issue should be set- | tied by the Arbitration Court, especially in regard to wages. The employers empnatically declined to ac- : cept the responsibility of increasing ; wages unless the increase had been ; decided by the tribunal provided by law.