UNION MAKES NEW OFFER

Chronicle (Levin), 14 July 1948, Page 5

UNION MAKES NEW OFFER

Press Association)

(Per

WELLINGTON, July 13. A new move towards the. settlement of the Mountpark dispute was made today when the Waterside Workers' Union proposed to the Government through the Federation of Lahour that the disputed order of reference for the trihunal should be left to the chairmgn of the trihunal for settlement. Mr. H. Barnes, presidentr in announcing this move, declared that if the Minister of Labour did not allow the order of reference to he argued hefore the trihunal chairman, he would stand condemned and there should be a demand for his remoVal from office and retirement from puhlic Iife. "Negotiations in an attempt, to reach a settlement were continued ' today without success, the national executive of the Federation of Labour, ac'ting as mediator. The Government 's refusal to accept the union 's proposed terms of reference, was announced to Messrs A. C. Dellaway, T. G. Wells- and T. Hil),; representing the union, wlien they visited the oflice of the Federation of Labour today. Mr. Hill said that after reeeiving the Government 's refusal he contacted other members of the national executive by telephone and the foliowing resolution was earried: "This exeeutiye of the union yegrets the refusal of^thd Government 'to 'agree to ,the ordev" pf reference submit'ted by ' the union. However, in an endeavour to settle the dispute, the executive of the union., submits that the chairman of the tribunal should liear argujpent from .the partiesconcerned and determirie himself • flie order of reference." ' ' In view of this proposal, ' ' said Mr. Hill, . "my executive expects that the lookout imposed on members at the port of Auckland will cease a'nd the Minister of Labour will permit normal work tq be resumed in Auckland from tomorrow, July 14." Mr. Barnes claimed last night, in a telephone jnterview • f.rOm Auckland, that if the Minister di/l not accept the watersiders' new proposition and Auckland watersiders continued tq . be "locked out" tomorrow, then it would be abundantl-y clear to every man, woman and child, vyho was respon'sible for the holdup. The Minister 's clumsy attempt to apportion the responsibility for the holdup at Auckland would surely fool no one. In spite of -the -fact that the matter was to be submitted to a tribunal, the Minister still locked out the men at Auckland. "Mr. McLagan has -made reference to dictatorship by saying that 1 direeted members of the union to hohl up ships," continued Mr. Barnes. ^That was the subject of charges during the war against me and which resulted in an ignoniinous dismissal -oi the charges." ' The union, in this instance, was not going to allow the Minister to. dietate the order pf reference for the tribuna/1, 1 continued Mr. Barnes. In a'n attempt to end the Auckland lookout, however, it liad now beeir proposed that the order of reference be argued before the tribunal chairman and be determined by him. . BU When the new proposal of the union, together with the statement of Mr. Barnes, was referred to him tonight, Mr. McLagan had no comtnent to make.