WATERSIDE CONTROL

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 243, 11 September 1940, Page 8

WATERSIDE CONTROL

EXTENSION PROPOSED. CO-OPERATIVE SYSTEM. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, Sept. 10. The new waterfront control scheme will come into operation in Auckland on Thursday, and within a few weeks at all other Dominion ports at which overseas vessels ball. This was stated to-day by the chairman of the Waterfront Control Commission (Mr R. E. Price). Later the scheme will be extended to other vessels, the ultimate aim being to bring all ports, vessels, and waterfront workers within its scope. Mr J. Roberts, a member of the Waterfront Commission, arrived this morning and with Mr Price will address a stop-work meeting of waterside workers to-morrow morning to explain details of the scheme. Both' will ieturn to Wellington to-morrow evenMr Price said to-day that one of the first actions of the commission was to remove some of the causes which had given rise to discontent among the men. Wages rates were adjusted to restore to the waterside workers the relatne position they had held in comparison with other industrial workers in New Zealand lor a long period prior to September, 1937. “Incidentally,” he said, “the relative position has again been lust by tun recent pronouncement of the Arbitration Court, and applications lor an adjustment have been made al . ~' vUI conic up lor consideration shortly. - CO-OPER AT IVE CONTR ACTS.

The next step which the commission took, Mr Price added, was to substitute for the hourly wage system, which discouraged speedier working by paying wages on a time basis, a method wlueri would give the greatest reward to those who would contribute the best eiiorts. The commission considered that tic method by which this could best be achieved was that known as co-opera-tive contracting, and this method uas accordingly adopted in a modified form and tried out in Wellington in June last on the Port Darwin and subsequently extended to all other overseas vessels calling at .Wellington. Ihe result was instantly successful, due to the co-operation freely gi\en by trie There were, however, influences at work to discredit the commission and any scheme making for a change. However, the opposition was dwindling ns more ships were being worked under the scheme, and the advantages weie becoming more apparent. Ihe cx P® n ' enco to date amply demonstrated tnat co-operation was worth encouraging, and every opportunity would be attorded to the waterside workers in Auckland to demonstrate their ability to uo the job'equally as well as their fellowunionists in the south. The scheme has ; also been tried at Timaru, Picton, and Bluff, and the speed 'of handling cargoes togethei with the earning capacity ot trie men, showed increases of from 9 per ecu . to 90 per cent. The South Island to date had shown most gratiiymg- results, but it was expected that the men at certain North Island ports who uere eager to work under the scheme would show equally good results.