TROUBLE EXPECTED

Chronicle (Levin), 30 November 1946, Page 4

TROUBLE EXPECTED

, — Press Association

union secretary's ' statement

By Telegraph

WELLINGTON, Nov. Z9. He felt it only right to say now that he expected trouble as a consequence of the decision of the Waterfront Industry Commission, stated Mr. T. Hill, national secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Works' Union, today. He considered that the decision would he totaily imsatisfactory to members of the union, and he was of the opinion that it would cause grave dissatisfaction among the waterside workers. Mr. Hill expected that some branch meetings of the union would be held today to discuss the question, and stopwork meetings were likely. The present intention was for the national exeeutive of .the union to discuss its policy and attitude at the annual meeting on Tuesday, and the opinion of the branehes was being sought before that meeting. Mr. Hill said he could not reeoneile the payment of two hours ' wages to a watersider with the employer eommanding the watersider 's serviees for 11 hours a day. The employer 's liability amounted to guaranteeing 12 hours' pay a week, but the worker was compelled to be available for at least 59 hours a week. Failure by a worker to report ineurred a penaltv, but -the em/plqfcr 's . liability was "npgligible. % ; iVliile- -the ^eci|ion . recogriised the principle of pifyntlnt ' to . m'en required to report for \Votfc daily, he Thought there would be much dissatisfaction over basing the guarantee on a fourweekly ligure embracing all hours, ordinary time, and overtime. It meant that the watersider would have to be available for 59 or more hours weekly, compared with the 40-hour week and working day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. granled to practieally all other workers. The guarantee should be ou a weekly basis to give real benelit, and it should be based on a 40- or 44-liour week. It was disappointing that the Commission had again viewed overtime as a normal feature of the industry. Any earnings in oyertime hours should be excluded from tlie guarantee, he said. Once again, the major obligation of a decent payment had been evaded, said Mr. Hill, and the whole question would receive very serious consideration by the union. As for "spelling," he continued, the union had repeatedly asked employers, the Waterfront Control Commission, aud, latterly, the Waterfront Industry Commission to provide decent amenities like those in other industries so that the men could ! enjoy a "smoko" in comfort.