WATERSIDE WORKERS' DISPUTE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1378, 2 March 1912, Page 5

WATERSIDE WORKERS' DISPUTE.

SOME EXTRAORDINARY FEATURES. IBy Teleiraph-Fresj Association.) Auckland, March 1. Great interest has been taken in the industrial dispute between the employers of labour on tbo wharves and in ships and, the Auckland Waterside. 'Workers' Union, which has engaged the attention of tho Conciliation Council, and was completely settled to-day. Tho dispute has had some extraordinary features. Discontented with its position as a body registered under the Conciliation and Arbitration the Auckland waterside workers decided to cancel their registration. They also became a party to an agreement entered into at 'Wellington between the Now Zealand Federation of Labour, including the Walersido Workers' Unions of Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Timaru, Dunediu, Wcstpovt, Nelson, and l'atea, and a number of largo shipping firms, hut tho Auckland Union, whoso registration, in spite of tho cancellation, has not yet expired, was cited by-some local shipping and other firms. It refused to appoint assessors, and three members were, according to law, nominated by tho Commissioner. They took their seal's at the council with the threat of tho union that if they signed any agreement with the employers their resignation from tho union would 1m demanded, and tho union repudiated them as representatives. Nevertheless, tho three continued their duties. Tho new agreement was duly signed by them and the employers' assessors, and, in tho ordinary course, will become an award binding upon all parties not exempted from it. When the hearing of the dispute commenced; a number of applications wero received, for exemption on the ground that tho applicant firms had becomo parties to tho Wellington agreement arranged under tho New Zealand Federation of Labour. All those applications were., declined, and tho new .award will thus override tho agreement. Tho provisions.in tho new award (which will be in forco for three years) were generally based upon tho federation agreement, but many Alterations were made in favour of the union. The result is that after making an agreement under tho federation and refusing to meet the employers under the Act, the union has been dealt with at the eleventh hour, and will have to accept willy-nilly an award giving it better conditions than its own agree'- , ment provided.