WATERSIDE WORK

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2733, 30 March 1916, Page 6

WATERSIDE WORK

RECENT CONFERENCES MATTER BEFORE HARBOUR BOARD The question of waterside labour was referred to_at last evening's meetiug of tho Wellington Harbour Board. The chairman of tho board (Mr. 0, E. Daniell) reported that an agreement had been arrived at with the New Zealand Waterside Workers' federation and the employers of waterside labour, and tho_ agreement .had been signed by the chairman and secretary on behalf of the board. The agreement, which, supplemented the existing agreement, dealt with wages and conditions of •labour, and terminated on December 31, 1916. . "I don't know that I can tell the board any more than that," the chairman continued. "This business was all dono in camera, anad by resolution in conference it was agreed to give nothing to the Press, except what was) decided upon by the representatives to tho .conference.

Mr. It. Fletcher: Why was date so short?

The chairman: The desire of the employers was that the agreement should continue for tho period of the war. Mr. Fletcher: The war will end in Julie.

The chairman said that it was the employees' representatives who had been against the fixing of such a period. The chairman also said that there had been some difficulty about the working of one of the vessels in port, and that a conference had been held on Tuesday afternoon, "and the total result was. that the employees' representatives assured us that they believed the men .misunderstood the possible meaning in that they had not received copies of the agreement, which was not filed in the Court till to-day." The employees' representatives had said that the men feared thoy might be committing a breach of the 10 o'clock 'agreement if they worked on. The affair was unfortunate. all the way through, but the, employees' representatives had asswred them that they wished work to go on harmoniously. Mr. J. G. Harkness: 1 Have they signed : that, Mr. Chairman ? The chairman: Yes, they signed it to-day. Mr. Harkness : What is the position of the Lyttelton Harbour Board? The chairman: The Lyttelton waterside workers are not parties to the igreement. - Mr. A. M'Farlane: But the Wellington waterside workers are ? The chairman: Yes. ' . ' .Mr. C. W. Jones: The representatives signed it. hut it does not bind the rank and file. Mr. M'Farlane: Well, what is the good of having an agreement if it does not bind ihe rank and file? , Mr. Jones: Not the slightest good. y<-. Cohen: It did not bind them before.