EMPLOYERS BLAMED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 151, 22 March 1939, Page 12

EMPLOYERS BLAMED

“Refusal To Negotiate Agreement”

A statement was made to the Press after yesterday’s meeting by the secretary of tiie New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, Mr. J. Roberts. There was a full attendance of members ol' the union, he said. There was si long discussion on the reasons for the hold-up. The men stated that the employers had refused ■to negotiate an agreement with the national union.

Messrs. Webb and Fraser explained the policy of the Government, stressing tiie necessity for sending overseas a continuous supply of New Zealand’s produce. After a general discussion a resolution was adopted that the men resume work under normal conditions, and that the officers of the New Zealand union begin negotiations with the employers immediately for a new agreement.

Messrs Webb and Fraser thanked the men for tiie hearing they had given tiie speakers and for their expressions of loyalty to the Labour Government.

A motion of confidence in the Prime Minister, Mr. .Savage, .and in the Government was carried.

Tiie meeting decided tlmt normal work should be resumed at 1 o’clock, as soon as arrangements could be made with the employers.

EMPLOYERS’ REPLY

“Union Responsible For Delay” Commenting on the statement that the men blamed the employers for refusal to negotiate an agreement, the secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Employers’ Association, Mr. W. Bennett, said that the union and not the employers was responsible for any delay that had occurred. Ou June 30, 1938, said Mr. Bennett, the employers forwarded to the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union proposals for a new agreement. They usk.ed for a reply within 14 days. It was not till July 29 that the union replied that the proposals were not acceptable. As this was a long time over the 14 days, the dispute had been tiled with the clerk of awards, to be heard by a conciliation council. After some delays, tor which the employers were not responsible, the conciliation council began sitting in Auckland on October IS. After visiting Napier, Dunedin, and Christchurch, it ended its sitting in Wellington on December 8. The council came to a partial agreement only, and the recommendations covering points of agreement were given to the employers by the commissioner on December 24 for the signatures of assessors. The document was signed by the employers’ assessors ami handed to the union on January 6, 1939, for the signatures of its assessors. The employers next received the document from the commissioner on February 17. It was still uncompleted, lacking tile signature of one of the union’s assessors. This was not received till February 22. The document was hied with the clerk of awards the same day, 47 days after it was handed to the union for signatures.

"As the recommendations for the partial agreement were signed only on February 22, and as the Court of Arbitration opened iu Wellington on February 2, it will be seen that the papers were tiled too late for the Court to clear the dispute at this sitting in Wellington,” said Mr. Bennett. On February 2, the date the Court opened, said Mr. Bennett, lie asked the Court to arrange for Mr. Roberts and himself to appear before it later to lix the date for the hearing of the dispute, as Mr. Roberts was then absent from town. The Court agreed to this and Mr. Roberts was informed, but so far he (Mr. Bennett) had been unable to make an arrangement with Mr. Roberts to appear before the Court. “It will thus be seen,” said Mr. Bennett, ‘‘that the union and not the employers must be blamed for all the delay.”

Mr Bennett said that after the meeting in the Tivoli Theatre the union held another meeting from 12.45 p.m. tp 1.15 p.m. All the men were not down at 1.45 p.m., and that entailed further delay in manning the ships.