WATERSIDE DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 122, 16 February 1921, Page 6

WATERSIDE DISPUTE

EMPLOYERS AWAITING DEVELOPMENTS SITUATION NOT YET DEFINED Affairs on the waterfront are still nt an indefinite stage. The Wellington men accepted work after 5 p.m. bn Monday. They stopped work early yesterday in order that the members of the union might attend the funeral of a man who had died as the result of injuries received in a wharf accident. The Waterside Workers’ Union has made it a practice for some time to stop work when file victim of a waterside accident is 'being buried, and yesterday's incident has no special significance. Tho union has not given any guarantee of normal operations, but: the employers are disposed to believe that their ultimatum has had its effect, and that overtime is not going to be refused again for the present. Normal working is proceeding at Lyttelton and Dunedin, but the watersiders at Auckland are still refusing to work after 5 p.m. The control of the dispute i s in the hands of the Shipowners’ Executive in Wellington, and a Dominion reporter who made inquiries on the subject yesterday gathered that no further move* has yet been made by tho employers. The dispute will develop quickly if the Auckland men do not fall into line tvith the other waterside unions. There seems to be reason to believe that t'he Auckland union tvill elect to accept the letter and the spirit of the agreement by resuming normal working. Tho alternative is an industrial fight. IRRITATION TACTICS AT LHTELTON By Telegraph—Pro's Aieoctation. Christchurch, February 15. That t'he waterside workers are adcqiting irritation tactics was male clear at Lyttelton this afternoon when the men, on being ordered back for overtime, refused on all vessels except five. T'he remainder, some eleven steamers, were idle from 5 p.m., and as a result some of these will lose a day. IKPROVEMENT~aF AUCKLAND By Telegraph— lnes assooiaMe*. Auckland, February 15. Conditions on the Auckland waterfront showed a considerable impovement today. A good number of men agreed to work overtime, ivhile others refused to continue after five o’clock. It wouhl appear that members of the union are divided on this issue. Overtime was worked on the Otarama, Waiwcra, and Omana bv the gangs engaged on these ships, but the watersiders- working the Northumberland refused to continue after frije o’clock. The men engaged on the small hatches on the Rimutaka also agreed to_ work overtime, but those on the large hatches declined, consequently no overtime was worked on this vessel.