HANDLING OF CARGO

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 143, 13 March 1939, Page 10

HANDLING OF CARGO

Waterfront Transport Control Boards SCHEDULE OF DUTIES Adjustment Of Disputes At Ports UTILIZATION OF LABOUR The constitution and duties of the waterfront transport control boards to be established in accordance with a decision of the special committee appointed from the conference called to consider labour and other conditions at New Zealand ports were announced by the Minister of Latour, Mr. Webb, at the conclusion on Saturday of the final meeting of the committee. Local boards are to use every effort to adjust disputes and prevent stoppages on the waterfronts. Reports from these boards will be considered and co-ordinated by _ a national board, which will make investigations and recommendations to the Minister of Labour.

The constitution of the boards as adopted by the committee is as fold'd) That local boards be set up in the 'following centres: Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, Bluff, Port Chalmers, Oamaru, Timaru, Greymouth, Westport, Nelson, Picton, Napier Gisborne, Wanganui, and New Plymouth. These local boards are to consist of two representatives of the employers and two representatives of the workers, together with a chairman appointed by the parties. In the event of the parties being unable. to agree on the appointment of a chairman, the chairman shall be selected by, the Minister of Labour. ' (2) The duties of the local boards shall be to investigate and report on all matters in relation to working on the wharves and to use every effort to adjust disputes so that no stoppages shall occur on the waterfronts, and to report on any new method or methods for the more efficient loading or discharging of cargo. (3) Local boards shall report to the national board hereinafter provided, and if necessary in cases of emergency they may report direct to the .Minister of Labour. (4) A national board shall also be established and shall consist of three representatives of the employers of waterside labour and three representatives of the union with a chairman to be appointed by the parties. In the event of the parties not being able to agree on the appointment of a chairman, the chairman shall be selected by the Minister of Labour. (5) The duties of the national board shall be to consider and coordinate reports received from local boards, to make such investigations as they deem necessary at any port or ports throughout New Zealand, to. report to the Minister from time to time and make recommendations: —

(a) On the improvements which should be adopted for the more efficient carrying on of the work. (b) On a more efficient system of the utilization of the labour available on the waterfront. (c) On any new method or methods for employing labour which, in the opinion of the board, would be in the interests of the employers, the workers, and the industry as a whole. (6) The national and local boards shall have full liberty to make any investigations they deem advisable. DECISION APPROVED Committee Addressed, By Mr. Savage KEEPING OPEN ARTERIES OF INDUSTRY Before the conclusion on Saturday of the meeting of the special committee which has been considering proposals for an iuprovement in the handling of cargo at New Zealand ports the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage, briefly addressed members of the committee. Mr. Savage and the Minister of Labour, Mr. Webb, who presided, both expressed approval of the committee’s decision to establish waterfront transport control boards. Mr. W. H. G. Bennett, for the employers, and Mr. J. Roberts, for the employees, said that if the agreements made by the committee were carried into proper effect it would start a new era in the history of waterfront work in New Zealand. Tributes were paid by the speakers to Mr. Webb’s chairmanship. Mr. Webb said he was proud to have presided over such a body of men, all anxious to do their best to bring about a better state of affairs on the waterfront. The manner in which both sides had approached the very difficult problems had been an inspiration, and on behalf of the Government he thanked those taking part in the conference. “We did talk about a Royal Commission and other things,” he said, “but the idea of the Government was that this was the best kind of commission —men who know the position and who got together with open minds, determined to do the right thing.” An Important Decision. Mr. Savage, who complimented the committee on the work it had done, said its decision was of importance because it meant so much to the Government and the people of New Zealand, and perhaps to Britain as well. Things had not been very satisfactory in the past, for a variety of reasons. There had been a certain amount of just blunde'ring along, but be believed that no difficulty was insurmountable if the men involved got together. One thing was clear: if New Zealand was going to play its part to the full better transport was necessary. Transport provided the main arteries of industry and commerce, and if it were blocked, paralysis, either partial or total, would result.

It should be possible, said Mr. Savage, for New Zealand to make arrangements with Britain and to be able to have the goods arrive on the

London market almost up . to the minute, instead of having it indefinite, never knowing when the goods were going to reach the market. Delay meant loss not only to the employers but to the men. It was very pleasing ■that the committee had been able to reach an agreement setting up machinery that would overcome the difficulties. If there were any weaknesses in the law militating against the successful result of the scheme, those weaknesses would have to be strengthened New Zealand was losing under the present system, and it was a question of hammering out something beneficial for both sides.

Distribution of Goods.

Recently, continued Mr. Savage, he and the Minister of Industries and Commerce had been visiting various local industries, but it was not much use frying to build them up unless they were assured that their goods could be distributed. To say that there would never be any disputes would be stupid, but to have machinery to overcome disputes was only common sense. Mr. Savage congratulated the committee on having arrived at least at a nucleus of an organization based on common sense.

“I assure you again,” he said, “that if it is necessary, whatever the Government can do, either by legislation or in any other way, to give effect to any practicable scheme, will be done. The time has gone by for simply talking. We have to do something that will give us better results than ever before. Might I express the hope that you will go on to greater things feeling all the time when you are dealing with the Government that you are dealing with friends who want to help you to bring about a better era.”

Though the problem was big- it was not new, said Mr. IV. IL G. Bennett, in replying on behalf of the employers. A very large number of men were involved at 18 or 19 ports, and there were so many different conditions in the different ports. Moreover, it was hard to satisfy everybody. “I really think we have provided something now that is going to stop holdups and going to effect many improvements in the work of the waterfront,” he said, and lie added that he did not mean merely the rate of work but also the methods of work. Mr. Bennett expressed thanks to Mr. Webb. Dominion’s Export Trade. Mr. J. Roberts, on behalf of the waterside workers, also thanked Mr. Webb. The waterfront industry was one of the most important in New Zealand, for in the modern world a country like New Zealand was greatly affected by its export trade. Though he would confess that everything on the waterfront had not always been good, he could assure the Ministers that both parties had had bricks thrown at them without reason. The conduct of the waterfront industry was not such a simple matter as outsiders thought it was.

“We have arrived at a decision that I think will mark a new epoch in waterfront work in New Zealand,” said Mr. Roberts. Each side of the table recognized that the committee had responsibilities to New Zealand and to the industry, and he was certain that the scheme evolved would lie to the benefit of all concerned. The workers wauled to see a fair thing done find to carry on lhe work - efficiently, but they wanted the employers to recognize that without them and without the seamen there would be no shipowners.