BUREAU SYSTEM

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 122, 25 May 1937, Page 17

BUREAU SYSTEM

WATERSIDE WORK

AUCKLAND INNOVATION

(By Telegraph—Press Association. ) AUCKLAND, May 24. Arrangements are well in hand for the establishment of the bureau system in connection with waterside work in Auckland. A controlj board has been established, consisting o' 3e representatives of the; employers and three representatives of the union, and details are now being worked out as to how the new system v* i..i:.u u — g wharf labour can be applied. "Under the scheme which was agreed to last February between the union and the employers, a certain number of men will receive £2 10s a week as a minimum, whether they work or not," said the manager of a shipping office. "Roughly, I think there are 1300 members of the Waterside Workers' Union, and the scheme will embrace more than half of them. What the committee that has been appointed has to consider in the meantime is the class of man to. be employed and, the. work he can dp bjsst, Age will be taken into account and other uiatters that are ni, o;~ sary to consider when placing a man on. the list.. The.re will; be central, control under a. manager- appointed by. the employers. M6n who are selected must be reliable 'wor-kets/ and they- will' have to. reppKt, for- duty every mor-ning^-in other words, they will hav.e. to be always "on tap.' Under the present system a man can absent himself at any time. It would be impossible to begin the scheme and guarantee a large number of men a minimum of £2 10s a week if [., they were not available when required. : -. "All-shipping companies are included in the scheme, including those trading on the coast," said another shipping manager. "The system, which will be in operation three or four weeks hence, is a great advance on present methods. It is a genuine attempt to make conditions better for the men. Naturally, we are all in the dark as to how it will work out. What we do know is that it will cost shipping, companies a large sum of money. The men will not be engaged' as . they are -today,, T,hose w.hp are guaranteed £2 10s a week will be allocated to ships. The idea' is abound one, and if the right men are selected and the right spirit prevails there is. no reason why the scheme should not be- a thorough success The scheme was put'up to the. men by the companies and was agreed to by .an overwhelming majority. It is a 'dTfficillt system, to organise, but good, progress has been made so^ far." •^Another informant said that the bureau system had been tried with waterside workers, both at Lyttelton and Wellington. Men had been appointed to ships, but, unlike the Auckland scheme, there was no guarantee of weekly wages. ■■