Told To Think Things Over

Chronicle (Levin), 21 December 1946, Page 4

Told To Think Things Over

PreSs Association

PRIME MINISTER'S LETTER

By Telegraph — .

WELLINGTON, Dec. 2Q. "In response to your request at tlie conferenee with your organisation yesterday morning, I am senaing this letter setting out the deeision of the Government in regard to the present industrial position on the waterfront of the Dominion, ' ' the Prime Minister states ^ in a letter addressed to Mr. T. Hill, V secretary of the New Zealand. Watersiders' Union. "The present conditions, I am adviscd, arose after the failure of tlve einployers' and workers' representatives on the Waterfront Industry Commission to agree to a deeision on the guaranteed wage and attendance money claim made by your organisation resulting in the deeision being left with the' ehairman, Mr. Justiee Ongley. The deeision of the ehairman, which was in the nature of a ju'onouneement setting out general principles on the subjects referred to, was issued on November 26 last. The pronouncement is not effc'ective until such time as alterations are made to the Commission 's order which would require further discussions with all members of -the Commission^ * "Following on the pronouncement.it appears that action was immediately taken by certain branches of your union to limit hours of work to five-day forty hour week wiuiout any attempt being made to discuss athe matter either with the Government or Commission. Had representations been made by your organisation to the Government at that time, discussions could immediately have been arranged ■ with a view to examining the effect of the pronouncement. No order has yet been made and these discussions can stili be held. Union 's Demands. "I am advised that at a meeting of the Commission held on December 4, following the publication of the chairman's pronouncement, Mr. Barnes, on belialf of the national executive of your organisation, tabled a statement which he affirmed set out the minimum demands of your union. Th^se demands, as submitted in writing to tlie Commission, were: — "(1) A satisfactory deeision on a guaranteed daily wage. "(2) Wage increases to restore the position as laid down by the Court of Arbitration, whereby waterside workers receive 25 per cent. above the liourly rate of unskilled workers. "(3) lmmediate improvements in aecommodation and amenities. (This has been an outstanding grievance for many years and has been pressed continuously for the past six years). "(4) The abolition of Saturday engagements. „ ' 'From an examination of the flies it appears to me that the ehairman 's pronouncement on the guaranteed wage, grants to waterside workers' conditions better than those asked for in the Union' s claims. The pronouncement provides for a minimum payment of £25 for each period of four weeks to A grade workers and £21 to B grade workers, in addition to any honus earned under the cooperative system. While these guaranteed payments may not be very costly to the waterfront industry at the present time in the main ports, they do provide immediate and substantial benefits to workers at secondary ports. They also guarantee a minimiun income at all times. "It was stated by Mr. Barnes at the conferenee yesterday that a worker absent one day in the four weekly period would lose his guarantee of £25 but I am advised by the ehairman of the Commission that while , no coqditions have been Jaid down governing the payment of the guaranteed wage, he does not consider that a worker should or would be penalised in the way mentioned by Mr. Barnes. It is also proposed to make due allowance for unavoidable absence on the part of workers during days in the four weekly period. "Attendance iponey, I am advised, ' will be a.valuabth a^lditionai beneflt to t'lie workers and fliisf alOne is estimated to amount to approximately £40,000 per annurn. "Mr. Barnes also stated that a waterside worker could work suffieient time to enable him to earn over £600 per annuxft and still fail to qualify for the payment of a full two weeks' annual holiday. The Government is of opinion tliat waterside workers should be in no worse position than the average worker in regard to holidays and it believes the matter is easily capable of settlement. 1 have been iuforined by the Commission that your representatives have been invited to make proposals to correet any anomalies in regard to annual holidays and that these proposals will receive sympathetic consideration. Any anomaly with regard to quaiification for pavnicnt for statutory holidays would also be considered. 'i'lie Government is of opinion in counection with holidhy pay, that waterside workers should be in a position not iess favournble than other workers and also that reasoned discussion will produce jr-acti-cal results to ensure this end "The claim fof wage increases to restore the position as laid down by the Court of Arbitration in 1922, has, I am advised, not previously been raised with Ihe present Commission. In fact, I am informed that the claim of your organisation was for a wage increase of a half-penny an hour from 3s 51d to 3s 6d per hour. I am also advised that the basis adopted by the Arbitration Court in 1922 was departed from by the Waterfront Control Commission to enable it to grant an increase in wages of two penee per .hour in June, 1940, as the average hours of work had inereased to such an extent that the 25 per cent formula adopted by the Court in 1922 was not applicable. Better Accommodation. "The claim also mentions improvements in accommodation and amenities. As you know tlie. provision of waiting rooms at niain ports is the responsibility of the harbour boards concerned and representations have been made to (Continued on Page 7)

WATERSIDERS WARNED (Continued from Page 4) tlie lxar b our boards at Auckland and Lj'ttelton to improve existing accoiumodation. The Goyernmeat will do everytliing possible to faei'litate the provision of modern accommodation at the ports mentioned including canteen faeilities. Iniprovements itx accommodation and amenities, including- modern waiting rooms, have already been provided at Napier, Westport and Greymouth at ' a cost of approximately £30,000 and plans and specifications have been prepared or are in the course of preparation for buildings at Nelson and Bluff. "With regard to the abolition of Saturday engagements, this claim, 1 am advised, was submitted in the union proposals but 1- understand it was agreed that the four liiain claims of the union, namely statutdry holidays, meal monev, time-and-half for Saturday morning, and the guaranteed wage, would lirst be considered by the Commission befofe the numerous ■other subsidiarv claims were dealt with. As you are aware, up to the present time it has not been possible for the Commission to consider the remaining . claim of your organisation. Arrangements with regard to Saturday engagements are, however, a matter which could be given careful and early consideratjou and 1 have no doubt that an agreement satisfactory to all parties could be reached. Requested by Union. "Other than the jiosition as already set out, the facts are that the present form of Commission was appointed in respouse to the request of your uuion following similar recjuests received from the shipping compauies. When the Commission was appointed botli workers' and employers' represeutatives olfcred their full cooperation and goodwill in the management of the industry and it was expected, under this set-up, that the orders and deeisions of the Commission would be observed lr. both parties. The Commissiou was appointed to expedite the despatch of shiiiping aiul to prevent and settle dis putes on the waterl'ront. if the authoritv of the Commission is not to be observed, then it eannoL carry out its funetions, is serving no useful ])ur])ose, and it will be necessary to suspend its powers. This will mean a suspension of all orders and deeisions ;nade by 'the Waterfront Control Commission and Waterfront Industry Commission and will entail the abandoninent of the eooperative "contraeting systeni and numerous other benefits granted to your members.

"Your representatives yesterday, at the conference, statecl that. the present dispute is one between the union and shipping companies but under the Commission control of the waterfront it becomes a dispute in which the Government is automatically involved and while the Commission remains in existence the Governmeut will uphold its autliority. If normal hourS of work are resumed the chairman pf the Commission advises me that he will make immediate arrangements for consideration by the Commission- of * the effect of the pronouncement before any orders are niade" '"If ' normal work is not resumed the Govermnent will have no option but to suspend the powers and authorities of the Commission. The Government would regret being compelled to take this step and I trust that your execiltive and members will give serious consideration to the offer of Mr. Justice Ongley to hear representations at once from your organisation with regard to the guaranteed wage ,and other matters referred to in the pronouncement. This meeting could immediately follow resumption of work in accord with the existing rules governing the waterfront. ' '