COMMISSION CONTROL STILL WANTED

Chronicle (Levin), 6 April 1949, Page 7

COMMISSION CONTROL STILL WANTED

WELLINGTON, April 5. The policy of ,the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Union is for the continuance of • commission control 011 ihe waterfront. This was declared in a resolution rdopted hy the national executive of the uiiion today and sent hy letter to ihe Minister of Lahour, Mr. McLagan, in reply to questions raised hy him. The resolution, which the union anrounced had been carried imanimously. ilso declared that the" union would :ontinue to accept and ahide hy the deffsions of the Waterfront Industry .luthority provided those decisions were n fact the decisions of the authority rnd not of any other hody. The union invited tlie Minister to )oinl out any instance where tlie unioi: iad refused to accept direction from he authority except in the Northumberand dispute wlien it claiined it was oyaily abiding by tlie direction of the uitional council of the Federation of ijabour and .the Auckland Trades Coun :il. The letter to tlie Minister read as "ollows: "Your letfer of March oi was dis•ussed by my national executive toda} uul the following resolution has been >assed by my national council: 'That his national executive of the New 'ealand Waterside Workers' Union. itrongiy reseuts the letter from tlie diuister of Labour dated March 31. i(J49. We consider it a 111 ost inipropei literference 111 the affairs of the New iealand Waterside Workers' Uniou and ilso a vvilful attempt to usurp the func ions that rightfully should lie those of the Waterfront Industry

Authority. While we regret tlie fact that tlie chairman has seeu fit to ad journ the Waterfront Industry Authority sine die, that body is still the gov erniiig body and the national executive will be pleased to discuss any probleniy with the authorit.y at any time. At the saine timo we niake it clear that. any issues to be put before our members and any change oi' union policy, will be determined by 110 oue but the proper authorities as delined in our democratic and registered rules. Tlie poiicv of our union, as determined by our national council, is for a coutinuance oi' commission control. That policy will be continued unless and/or until our ■ national council decides otherwise. " 'With regard to the second issue raised by tlie Minister of Labour, we would be pleased to have advice of .any decisions of the Waterfront Industry Authority (excepting tlie Northumberland dispute when our union was loyally abiding by the direction of the na- 1 tional council of the Federation of Labour and of the Auckland Trades Uounc.il) that our union has rel'used to ' accept. J11 accordance with its former undertaking, the uniou will continue to accept and abide by^he decision of the j

Waterfront Industry Authority provided those decisions are in fact the decisions of the Waterfront Industry Authority and llot the decisions of any other body.' "A eopy of this resolution is being handed to the press and forwarded to the .chairman oi" the Waterfront Industry Authority." The national executive of the union, which opened a specia.1 meeting in Wellington today, will meet again toinorrow.