MINISTER WITH DEEP SENSE OF DUTY

Chronicle (Levin), 13 May 1947, Page 8

MINISTER WITH DEEP SENSE OF DUTY

ALL THAT IS NEEDED FOR THE WANGANELLA DISPUTE WELLINGTON, May 12. "It is apparent that it needs , only the action of one Minister of the Crown with a deep. sense of his duty as Minister, to enable the floatiiig dock to be t'reed in 48 hours of its-tmionument tu [)ovver-drunk unionism,' ' said the manuger of the Wellington Metal Trades Fmployers ' Assoc.iation, Mr. James, today. Commenting on the eontinflea stalemate in regard to the Wanganeiia, he said the contractor deserved public acclamation for his refusal to pay rausorn rates of pay and so reeeive the profits based on those exhorbitani rates. It also appeared that union ofliciais responsible for the eontinued inactivity on the ship had no confldence in tne Federation of Labour to obtain for Ciem their ridi'culous requests. Nor had they the courage to have their requests placed before a tribunal open to the PresS and public. Mr. James said he believed a secrer ballot among the workers' concerhed vvould result in the resumption of woi'K on the Wanganeiia. No replv or acknowledgment has been reeeived froni the Department of Laoour, to a letter sent on May 8 on behair of the New Zealand Employers' Federation asking that the department take imniediate action in the Wanganeiia dispute under sections- 123 and 124 oi the Industrial Coneiliation and Arbitration Act. The letter, written on tne insL'uctions of the Employers' Feaem ation, stated: "It appears clear to us that whenever such a flagrant breacu of law is perpetratecl as has been done in the present case, the department is justified both in principle and by precedent, in taking the action we suggest. To ignore a breach of the Act in the circumstanees existing here, tends in our opinion to bring the whole of the f administration of the law into cou- [ tenipt* and disrepute. To enforce it wiil produce the opposite result and, moreover, wiil give some measufe of protec- ^ tion which an injured party is entitled to expect. " A eommittee representing the unions ' involved in the Wanganeiia hold-up agreed this morning to meet the execti1 tive of the Federation of Labour this aftdrndon.