Industrial Dispute Still Unsettled

Chronicle (Levin), 15 March 1949, Page 5

Industrial Dispute Still Unsettled

AUCKLAND, March 14. Involved .in the industrial dispute because the Auckland Waterside Workers ' Union refuses to unload her cargn of soda ash for the " blaek-listed ' ' glassworks, the steamer Northumberland has been deelared a preferenee ship by the Waterf'ront Indust.ry Authority. If watersidfers allocated to the vessel refuse to work her, f'resli Jaboui eannot be engaged for other ships in port except to liandle vitally necessary commodities. While railwaymen today observed their decision to abandon the boycott, watersiders strietly enforeed' the ban preventing the loading of "black-list-ed" butter and cheese for the United Kingdom and the discharge of niateriaT for the Otahuhu railway workshops, in addition to the soda ash. Requisitioned by a dissiflent group of drivers, a special stopvvork meeting of the Drivers' Union will be held on Thursday to consider rescinding tlie union 's boycott decision. No progress toward a settlement was made at a meeting in Wellington between the national executive of the Federation of Labour and the national council of the Carpenters ' -Union, cailed to discuss the handin-g over of the dispute to the federation. Employment discs will be hung on the Labour Bureau 's boards tomorrow morning for 144 workers for the Northumberland. If the men decline to lift them, they will automatically be placed on penalty. Replacement labour will be made available for other ships in port but no new gangs will be provided either for these or for incoming vessels. A preferenee declaration whs last made during the' Mountpafk diaputes last year.