NO CHANGE ON WHARVES

Chronicle (Levin), 23 December 1946, Page 4

NO CHANGE ON WHARVES

Forty-Hour Week Continues further conference tqday WELLINGTON, Dee. 22. A meeting between the Minister of Labour (Ilon. A. •McLagan), . the Waterside Workers Union and the Federation of Labour will be held on Monday to give further consideration *to the waterfront dispute. in the meantime there has I^een no eliange in the attitude of the waterside workers who are continuing- to work a 40-liour ^ week. Asked on Saturday if there was a prospect of an early settlement of the dispute the national secretary of the Waterside Workers' Union (Mr. T. Hill) said: "Time wouldtell." " We feel that Commission control has not yet been lost," he said when asked if the union wanted the retention of Commission eontrol. Asked if the orders made by the Waterfront Control Commission and the Waterfront Industry Commission during the last six years had been" of benefit to the wnterfro..t workers, ACt. flill had no comment to make. In answer to a question about port cougestion and the resultant diversion of sbips, he said: "Most of the eompjaints of port cougestion in New Zealand have come through press statements from Auckland whcre port congestion is not uncommon in normal times bccause of the inadequate and antiquated facilities of that port. Ships were anchored in the stream at Auckland awaiting berths long before the waterside workers instituted the 40-hour week. Auckland with a vastly cxpandcd population in the district its ports scrves is trying to handle the inciTased 1 raffie with facilities that were apparently designed iu the hoi'sc aud buggy days."