NORMAL WORK MUST BE RESUMED FIRST

Chronicle (Levin), 9 January 1947, Page 5

NORMAL WORK MUST BE RESUMED FIRST

■Press Aszociation

ME. FRASER'S REFLY TO auckland waters1ders

By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Jan. 8. The Prime Minister, replying by tele gram to the secretary of the Auckland Trades Council which had requesied that Mr. Fraser should immediately convene a meeting witli the national exeeutive of- the Waterside Workers' Union with a view to establishing a basis for a satisfactory settlement o. the wharf dispute, said: "When J met the national exeeutive of the WatersidWorkers' Fnion last lnonth on the sub jeet L advised them that immediately normal working was restuued on the watert'ront I will at once facilitate con

sideration of'-the subjects in dispute. This offer still holds n.pd 1 hope ar rangements will be made accoi'dingly. ' ' Mr. Fraser also indicated tliat a copv of the council 's teJegram and his replv had been forwarded to the head oiiice of the Federation of Labour. A secret ballot aiiiong members of tlu Waterside Workers' Fnion on the (jues tion of the policy to be followed in the dispute would l>e useless and jueinbers of the union had not requested such a ballot, said the national secretary (Mr T. Hill) and the Wellington branch sec retary (Mr. E. A. Napier) in a joim statenient today. '' It would be useless to hold a secret ballot as the national exeeutive was alreadv acquainted with the opinion oi the rank and lile .of the union," said Mr. Napier. "Ail the ballot wonld (Continued on Page 8)

WATERFRONT DISPUTE

(Continued from Page 5) achieve would be a further endorsemeiit of what tlie executive is now doing. " Mr Hill said: ' ' Members of. the union have nQjt requested a secret bailot. Anyone knowirig the organisation of the Waterside Workers' Union would know that it is tnost demoeratic and the" rank and lile participate fully in every ■ lecision made. " The Prime Minister has accepted an invitation to be present at the Macri i.abour Conferenee at Opoutama on January 14 at whieh the use of Maori labour on* the wharves will be' discussed. A teiegrain to that eft'ect has been reeeived by M r. R. Tutaki, of Hastings, from Mr. Fraser, The Prime Minister added that he proposed to fly to Gisborne on tlie date mentioned.