WATERSIDERS OFFER TO WORK THE MOUNTPARK

Grey River Argus, 5 June 1948, Page 4

WATERSIDERS OFFER TO WORK THE MOUNTPARK

AUCKLAND, June 4. An offer to work the wheat ship Mountpark under the cost-plus contract was made by the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union to the Minister of Labour, Mi’ McLagan, in Wellington to-day. The system is at present being worked in Auckland by the union and owners of the motor-vessel Viti,. which is unloading an island fruit cargo. The Mountpark which is carrying a large cargo of Australian wheat, has been- idle since last Friday. The union has daily reiterated that it would work the ship under the terms of the

March settlement, stating that pending Court determination, the hatches could be lifted with mechanical gear. The Waterside Association has decided to advise the Minister of Labour that it is prepared to accept a special tribunal on the Mountpark dispute if one is set up, and to abide by its decision. The Minister has been informed that the association still considers that the establishment of a special tribunal is unnecessary and unwise since the Waterfront Industry Commission has already been set up by the Government to act as a tribunal.

The Government offered on May 25 to form a tribunal with a Supreme Court judge as chairman, and with representatives of the employers arid the union as members. The tribunal was accepted by the Waterside Workers’ Union, but not by the Waterside Employers’ Association, which unanimously considered it unnecessary. The employers maintained that the legislative regulations constituting the commission gave it a powei' of decision which was effective in the disnute and from which there was no appeal.

ARE WATERSIDERS CONSISTENT IN DISPUTE ?

P.A. WELLINGTON, June 4. ivxr T. Hui, secretary ox tne New Zeaiana Vvacersiae workers’ Union, niaae a staicineTic to me press tnat ms union would ask the Waterfront xudusiry Commission to give effect to its decision ox March 17, so lhat.wdik could be resumed on tne disputed vessel, Mountpark, witn the use of hooks to raise the hatches. The chairman ol the Waterfront Industry Commission (Judge Dalgiism commented on Mr Hurs statement to-night. Judge Dalglish said that the conditions under wmen wonc was resumed in March- last, at .the time ox tne first xvxountpark dispute over tne hatches, was not a decision or the commission at ail. ’rhe conditions or resumption were the terms or a settlement between the commission ana the Union tor a resumption ox work at that time, and unaer circumstances then existing; and they -nad no connection whatever with the present dispute over the Mountpark.

He continued: "Two months have elapsed; the ship has been away from New Zealand, and has returned. It has been worked in Australia, without hooks; part of the cargo was discharged on the present trip at Wellington without hooks, and the hatches were handled Dy non-Union labour at • Auckland on the first day without the use oi hcuks.

“The hatches have, again, been examined by the Nautical Surveyors of the Marine Department, and certificates have been given to the effect that the hatches conipiy witn the regulations, ana mat Xiiey are sure m Handle Dy hand. "The N.Z. Waterside Workers’ Union was advised, on the 24th 1 of May last, that this Commission had directed that the hatches ot the Mountpark De handled in the normal manner, without assistance of hooks; and tne union has, again, Deen advised to-day, that the commission sees no reason for altering its earlier decision.

“The offer of the Government for the appointment of a tribunal to consider me first Mountpark dispute was made entirely without prejudice to the present dispute, and to tne claim ot tne Commission, supported by tne certificates from the Marine Department surveyors, that the hatches comply with the general harbour re- ' gulations, and are sate to handle by hand.

“The Commission, therefore, considers that the union should accept the decision on this dispute, and handle the hatches in the normal manner.

•Regarding the statement that’ v th;? union would offer to work this ship on a contract-plus cost basis, the Government has frequently asked 'th? union to agree to an extended form of co-operative contracting, and, on each occasion, there has been an objection by the union’s representatives to the introduction of this form of contracting. In fact, the Government’s offer of extended contracting ,has been described by the union representative as ‘an attempt to sell the union’s members down the river’. It was agreed by the union representative, at those discussions, that the port of Auckland was not the best place to introduce the new form of contracting, and it was also agreed, by the representative of the union at a deputation to the Minister of Labour this morning, that the cost-plus system was not a suitable type of contract”.