WHARF CONTROL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24400, 11 September 1940, Page 4

WHARF CONTROL

NEW CONTRACT SYSTEM EXTENSION PLANNED START AT AUCKLAND THIS WEEK (Per United Press Association) AUCKLAND, Sept. 10. The new waterfront control scheme will come into operation at Auckland on Thursday, and within a few weeks at all other Dominion norts at which overseas vessels call. This statement was made to-day Py 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 waterside workers within its scope.

Mr J. Roberts, a member ot the Waterfront Commission, arrived this morning, and with Mr Price will address a stop-work meeting of waterside workers to-morrow morning in order to explain the details of the scheme. Both will return to Wellington to-morrow evening. Mr Price said to-day that one ol the first actions of the commission was to remove some of the causes which had given rise to discontent among the men. Wage rates were adjusted to restore to the workers the relative position they had held in comparison with other industrial workers in New Zealand for a long period prior to September 1937 Further Wages Adjustment

“ Incidentally,” he s&id, “ this relative position has again been lost by the recent pronouncement of the court, and applications for an adjustment have been made and will come up for adjustment shortly.” The next step which the commission took, he added, was to substitute for the hourly wage system, which discouraged speedier working by paying wages on a time basis, a method which would give the greatest reward to those who could contribute the best efforts The commission considered that the method by which this could be best achieved was that known as co-operative contracting. and this method was accordingly adopted in 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. The result was instantly successful, due to the cooperation freely given by a majority of the men. Overcoming Opposition

There were, however, influences at work to discredit the commission and any scheme making for a change. The opposition, however, was dwindling as more ships were being worked under the scheme and its advantages became more apparent. Experience to date amply demonstrated that co-op-eration was worth encouraging, and every opportunity would be afforded the waterside workers in Auckland to demonstrate their ability to do the job equally as well as their fellow-union-ists, in the south. The scheme had also been tried at Timaru, Picton and Bluff, and the speed of handling cargoes, together with the earning capacity of the men, showed increases ranging from 9 to 90 per cent. „ The South Island to date, Mr Price concluded, had shown the most gratifying results, but it was anticipated that the men at certain North Island ports, who were eager to work under the scheme, would show equally good results. .