THE WATERSIDE CONFERENCE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 47, 19 November 1920, Page 8

THE WATERSIDE CONFERENCE

. PROCEEDINGS EXPLAINED NO AGREEMENT AS TO COST-OF-LIVING BONUS " \ The conference between employers of waterside Labour and representatives of tJi© watevsido workers was continued in Wellington yesterday. The proceedings did not reaoii n conclusion., and tho conference will liieet again to-day. Tho Manager of the Wellington Waterside Employment Association (Mr. W. 11 Or. Bennett; made a statement to ;i Dominion reporter yesterday regarding the work of the conierunce. Mo said that tho New Zealand Waterside AVorkers' Federation had asked for an adjustment of the rates of pay included in the existing agreement, on the ground that the cost of living had increased. Similar demands were being made upon the employers by tho workers in almost every industry in th« Dominion. The shipowners had received similar requests from the Seamen's Federation, and from the organisation representing the cooks nn<i stewards. It appeared, therefore, ttial thero' was nothing peculiar about thclaim that had been made by the waterside workers.

"All these demands," said Mr'. Bennett, "are based on the increase in the cost of living as disclosed by the Govern-ment.Statistician's-monthly reports. The Arbitration' Cohirt iluis specified th» amount of the bonus required to cover this increase. But as tho Arbitration Court's figures are being challenged Inborn, workers and employers, the conference found itsaf unablo to come to any conclusion in the matter, The conference's now dealing with some other points."

Mr. Bennett added that the conference was discussing the methods of carrying out the work on, tho wharves, with tho object of securing increased efficiency, which would be in tho interests not merely of the workers and the employers, but of the general public as well. This subject had been under consideration £or some months, and the parties were desirous of effecting some improvements. Tho conference had. no intention of reopening or altering any other clauses in the existing agreement, which did not expire until December 31. 1921. The shipowners, lie said, were only following the practice of other employers in meeting the employees in conference for the discussion of matters of mutual interest and important,