PARTY TO AWARD

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 224, 19 June 1944, Page 4

PARTY TO AWARD

Waterfront Commission’s Objection NOT UPHELD BY COURT In a memorandum to the new Wellington foremen stevedores, timekeepers and permanent hands’ award, effective for one year from today, the Court ot Arbitration does not uphold the objections of the Waterfront Control Commission to inclusion arid has added its name to the list of parties. It was submitted for the commission that its authority under the Waterfront Control Commission emergency regulations, 1940, included the determination of wages and conditions of all workers on the waterfronts, and this authority, under the Emergency Regulations Act, 1939, over-rode that prescribed by any civil enactment such as the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act. The Court’s memorandum says that the commission is a corporate body and “employer,” under tlie I.C. and A. Act, was defined ns including employing corporations. The commission could prescribe terms of employment, but to date had not done so for foremen stevedores. Special power of suspension of all or any provisions of the I.C. and A. Act was provided, but vested in the Minister of Labour, not the commission. The Minister had not suspended the provisions of the Act in respect of foremen stevedores, whether employed by the commission or anyone else. Nor did the Court know of anything prescribed in pursuance of the emergency regulations in relation to foremen stevedores’ employment which was inconsistent with the I.C. and A. Act. Tlie commission was cited as a" party to the award by direction of the Court, not as the result of a decision on an application by shipping companies. The principal matters settled by the Court were hours, wages, meal money, overtime, holidays and the term of the award. A 44-hour week was fixed. Foremen aud timekeepers will receive time and a half for the first four hours’ overtime and double time thereafter. In lieu of overtime an hour and a half may be allowed off for each hour worked, exclusive of Sunday and holiday work. Permanent hands in charge of oil-hulks get a 3/6 a week rise to £5/7/6, with free quarters, light and heating. Their overtime will he time and a half for ordinary overtime and double time in addition to the weekly wage for Sundays and holidays. Permanent hands in charge of coni hulks received a 15/- increase to £4/10/- with free quarters, light and. heating. Overtime is the same as fixed for oil-hulk permanent hands in charge; Permanent hands are raised 15/to £5. Overtime is the same as for those in charge.

The employers’ representative on the Court, Mr. AV. C. Prime, dissents in these words: “I know of nothing to justify the extraordinary increases awarded over and above the rates which were arrived at by agreement, of tlie parties when the last award was made.”