DIRECT CONTROL

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 34, 4 November 1942, Page 4

DIRECT CONTROL

Wellington Waterfront Labour

COMMISSION TAKES OVER From 8 a.m. today the supervision of the loading and discharging of ail overseas vessels and all coastal ships working under the co-operative con-' tract system at the port of Wellington will be taken over by the Waterfront Control Commission. This statement was made by Captain R. E, Price, chairman of the commission in reply to an inquiry Iby “The Dominion” yesterday. Captain A. J. Lever-Naylor, formerly wharf superintendent for the commission at Auckland, and before that for many j’ears chief stevedore for the New Zealand Shipping Company, Ltd., at Wellington, has been appointed supervising stevedore. “The commission is taking over the direct control of the labour,” stated Captain Price. “The stevedores at present employed by the shipping companies will be responsible for the ordering of cargo and ra.’l trucks, and for safe stowage. Since July, 1940„ waterside work at Wellington has been under a contracting system on. a casual basis, the control of the labour being in the hands of the shipping companies. It has been found by the commission that this dual control is unsatisfactory, and it is considered that there can be an improvement in efficiency. “The system being .introduced in Wellington today has been in operation in Auckland since June last, and there has been an improvement .both in the rate and the control of the work, particularly in the working of overseas vessels, besides an improvement in industrial relationships. With the foremen under the one control, it enables us to pool their services and use them to better advantage, giving more flexibility and, better service.”