Wharfies Demand Meeting Of Authority

Chronicle (Levin), 3 June 1949, Page 6

Wharfies Demand Meeting Of Authority

Press Association)

(Per

- ■ WELLINGTON, June 2. A writ of niandamus seeking to. compel the Watcrfront Industrv Authority to hold a sitting, has been entered in the Bupreme Court by the Waterside Workers' Union and was served. It was also announced today that 011 Wednesday afternoon, a letter was sent to the union by the cliairnian of the authority, Judge D. J. Dalglish, stating that a sitting of the authority would be held tomorrow. No sitting has been hekl since April 4. On that date Judge Dalglish announced that the authority would go into reeess until the Govern uient had determined the future oi conimission control. Tliis announcement followed an ultiinatum delivered to the union from the Minister of Labour, Mr. McLagan, demanding a statement of opinion of the membersliip on the conimission control. The Minister lixed Axiril 21 as .tlie deadline for receipt oi a reply but within a few days receiveci contirmation from the union of its support i'or the commission system. Bince then, the union has requested a sitting of the authority to deal with outstanding matters, cliiefly wages. The authority, in an earlier decision, ga\ e tlie watersiders a wage increase of 21d an hour and stated that further consid eration of their claim for Is an hour would be given after the standard wagt pronouncement of the Court of Arbitra tion had been made. The Court 's an nouncement was made in April, embodying an increase of 3Jd for unskilled and 4d for skilled workers from June 1 but the Waterfront Authority has not yet made any further adjustment to watersiders' wages. Asked tonight about this week's developments, Judge Dalglish said that a letter to the union stating that a meeting would be held, was delivered on Wednesday afternoon. He himself had not yet receievd a copy of the union 's writ but he had sighted a copy served on another niember of the authority and it was dated with today 's date.