AUSTRALIAN WHARF WORK

Chronicle (Levin), 29 March 1946, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN WHARF WORK

judge's strictures Reeeived Thursday, 9.10 p.m. CANBERRA, March 28. Wharf labourers in some cases were recruited from the worst elements in other industries, stated the report of the stevedcring Industry Cornniission, which was tahled in the House of Repre- , sentatives today. They were loafers and resistecl their foremen and the better elements in the Wharf Lahourers' Union. The principal recommendation of Mr, | Justice Foster, who condiicted the in- 1 quiry, was that the industry should he removed from the control of the Arhi- j tration Court and placed under tbe j Stevedoring Commission. j He said the story qf the industry was one of evil conditions, low wages, hifcterness arid unrest." The wartime Stevedoring Industry Commission had heen | denounced by steamship owners as an utter and complete failure. In spite of that, he was of the opinion that conditions would have heen worse without it. Other factors included inexperipnced labour, unduly long hours and periods of work, congestion in the stores and regular night work. The medical eyidence was that most ' of the individuals examined were over 40 and under 60. All were prematurely aged, it being rare to find a man who did not look at least 10 years older than his age. The chief complaint hy the oviners and the sfevedores was the loss of disciplinary control, attrihuted to the existence and methods of the Stevedoring Industry Commission. Mr. Justice Eoster proposes that the Commission should have power to set up employment bureaux, iniplement scnemes for the decasualisatiop of industry, register and classify workers and impose iines.