BROTHERHOOD OF WATERSIDERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22339, 26 May 1947, Page 3

BROTHERHOOD OF WATERSIDERS

LINK-UP IN SIGHT PACIFICJJNIONS CONFERENCE MOOTED AUCKLAND AS VENUE (0 a.in.) SYDNEY, May 26. The formation of an industrial brotherhood of waterside workers extending throughout the Pacific is in sight following discussions between the representatives of the New Zealand, Australian and American organisations.

The following resolution has bee» passed in Sydney: "Because of the immediate necessity of improving working conditions associated with the shipping industry and to establish some uniformity of policy in relation to the many improvements required following the cessation of hostilities, this- meeting of the Australasian executive of the Waterside Workers’ Federation of Australia and New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, after discussions with the International

Longshoremen’s and Warehousemen's Union, requests our representatives on the executive bureau of t'ne World Federation of Trade Unions, at its meeting in Prague, to press the World Federation of Trade Unions to sponsor the convening of a pan-Pncific conference of maritime unions, at which representation will be provided for each maritime union in the Pacific area desirous of attending the said conference to be held in the Pacific area not later than August 31, 1947.” Mission Most Successful Messrs. H. Barnes and T. Hill, national president ancl secretary respectively of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union, who took part in the discussions, say that their mission to Australia has been most successful ancl that the two Dominion organisations are working in the closest harmony.

‘‘This will bo the greatest development from a maritime point of view which has ever occurred in this part of the world,” said Mr. Barnes. "During last week the delegates were in touch by telephone with Mr. Harry Bridges, whose longshoremen’s organisation controls all the unions on the Pacific coast of America, from Alaska to Mexico. "He promised full support of the proposal at the Prague conference which takes place next month. Conference in Prague and Java ‘‘Trade organisations in Australia and New Zealand will be represented at this conference by Mr. E. Thornton, Federal secretary of the Australian Ironworkers’ Association. The cause of the panPacific conference is being furthered also by Mr. E. Roach, assistant secretary of tho Australian Waterside Workers’ Federation, who is attending a trade union conference in Java at which the representatives of Indonesia, Malaya, China, Burma and India are also present.

‘‘The venue of the pan-Pacific conference has not yet been fixed, but it is expected that Auckland will be chosen. Representatives of the maritime unions of all countries in the area, including the Soviet Union, will be invited. The Dominion organisations have agreed to pay expenses of delegates of the British dock workers.”