Commission's Firm Stand In Mountpark Dispute

Chronicle (Levin), 5 June 1948, Page 4

Commission's Firm Stand In Mountpark Dispute

Press Association }

(Per

WELLINGTON, June 4. ' Commenting on a press statement by Mr. T. Hill, secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Workers ' Union, that his union would ask the Waterfront Industry Commission to give eftect to its decision of Mareh 17 so that work could be resumed on the Mountpark with the, use of liooks to raise the hatches, the Chairman of the Waterfront Industry Commission (Judge Dalglish) stated toniglit that the conditions under which Work was resumed in Mareh last at the fime of the iirst Mountpark dispute was not a decision of the Commission but the terms of settlement between the Commission and the union for the resumption of worlc at that time and urider the eircumstances then existing, and had no eonnection whatever with the present Mountpark dispute. Two months have elapsed, the ship has been away from New Zealand and has returned. It has been worked in Australia without hooks, part of the cargo was discharged on the- present trip- at Wellington without hooks an J the hatches Were handled by non-union labour at /Auckland., on the first day without the use Of hooks. The hatches have a'gain been examined by the nautieal "surveyors of the Marine Department and certificates have been given to the eft'ect that the hatches eoiuply .with the rcgulations and are safe to handle by hand. The New Zealand Waterside Workers' Union was advised on May 24 last that the Commission directe'd that the hatches of the Mountpark be handled in a normal manner without the assistance of hooks and the union- had again been advised today that the Commission sees no reason for altering its decision. The offer of the Government for the appointment of a tribunal to consider tlie first Mountpark dispute was made entirely without prejudice to the present dispute, and the ciaim of the Oom niisslon supported by certificates from Marine Department surveyors that the hatches comply with the general harbour regulations and are safe to handle by hand. The Commission, theref'ore, considers that the union n liould accept the decision .on this dispute- and handle the hatches .in the normal manner. Itegarding the statement tho.t the union would olT'er to work the ship on a contract plus cost basis, the Government has frequently asked the union to agree to an extended form of cooperative contractiug and on each occasiou there has been an objection by the union 's representati ves to the introduction of this form of contrac.ting. In fact the Government 's offer - of extended contractiug has been descri y by the union representative as an attempt to sel] the union ;s members do \vn the river. It was agreed by the union representative at those discussions that the port of Auckland was not the best place to introduce a new form of eontraeting, and it was also agreed by a representative of the union at a deputation to the Minister of Labour this morning that the cost-plus system was not a suitable type of contract.