WATERSIDE DISPUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24227, 20 February 1940, Page 6

WATERSIDE DISPUTE

REVIEW BY MR ROBERTS REPLY TO EMPLOYERS’ SECRETARY (Pm United Press Association) WELLINGTON. Feb. 19. Replying to the statement of the secretary of the Waterside Employers’ Association, Wellington, the secretary of the New Zealand Waterside Workers’ Union , (Mr J. Roberts), reiterated that he did not want to enter into a controversy on the dispute. He reviewed the dispute and the conference, and said the workers had asked for a conference, but the employers had refused. The meetings of the Conciliation Council were abortive. The Arbitration Court was jointly asked for a date for hearing, but the court refused to grant a date until the parties had arrived at a further measure of agreement. A further Conciliation Council meeting was • held, and some agreement was reached between the parties. ’ As the court was not then functioning, the workers asked the employers several times to meet them, and they refused. The Minister of Labour arranged a conference for December, and the empolvers refused to discuss wages, but desired to refer the question to the court. , Mr Roberts’s last point was that the employers submitted proposals which would cover only 20 per cent, of the men Mr Roberts repeated that the men did not take direct action. They asked the employer to carry on the work in the same manner as was done at other ports. The employer refused, and although it was true to say that they were not dismissed, it was also true that the employer said “ Well, you are getting no wages.” which, to Mr Roberts, meant dismissal. Official reports received at the head office of the union were to the effect that if Wellington had not interfered, the dispute would have been adjusted in Auckland without difficulty.