“ STOP AND GO ” IN INDUSTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24402, 13 September 1940, Page 4

“ STOP AND GO ” IN INDUSTRY

To coincide with the formal introduction at Auckland of the new waterfront control.. scheme, the watersiders at Wellington have taken the opportunity to issue an emphatic protest against the “ socalled ” co-operative contract system, which is the basis of the Control Commission’s reforms. The protest, unfortunately, will not cause surprise so much as a feeling of resignation among the .people of New Zealand. Indications that the watersiders, or a section of them, are much more concerne’d with imagined attempts to worsen the conditions of their employment than with the vital need to ensure the speediest handling of cargoes at New Zealand ports have not been lacking. It means little to these elements that a Government which has shown an almost pathetic solicitude for the “ worker ” is the sponsor of the scheme which is being introduced. Apparently they are unmoved by the appeals and exhortations addressed to them by the Minister of Labour, even although it has been shown beyond question that the handling of cargoes in New Zealand constitutes essential war work, directly related to the defence of Great Britain and of this Dominion, against the Nazi aggressor. As long ago as March the Minister of Labour was declaring that nothing would be allowed to stand in the way of despatching overseas vessels with the utmost celerity. Yet six months later, after the Government has laboriously evolved a plan which it considers will facilitate work on the waterfront without attacking the workers’ conditions, the best recognition which the scheme receives from a section of the watersiders is a protest in which there is not one constructive suggestion, merely a 'general complaint that the contract system will destroy the “ humane and beneficial ” working conditions obtaining. This non-co-operative spirit is not confined to the workers on the waterfront. While their protests are being expressed against a system that is designed to meet the requirements of a national emergency, another coal-mining stoppage has occurred, the reported reason being a' trivial dispute concerning “wet-time.” payment to one employee. Not without reason does Mr Webb, who is Minister of Mines as well as Minister of Labour, declare that the Government takes a serious view of such inexcusable suspensions of production in the Dominion. In the past year, to June 30, as many as 6443 working days were lost in the coal industry through industrial disputes, and in the same period waterfront stoppages caused a loss of 6826 days of work. It is scarcely enough that the Government should express, as it has done from time to time, its indignation at these disruptions which are severely hampering industry and hence militating against the country’s war effort. The Prime Minister has called on the people to work as they have never worked before —to “ work for their lives ” —so that the Dominion’s contribution to defence of the Empire may be of maximum value. His including Mr Webb, have darkly threatened that those who, impede the capacity effort will be dealt with. Yet, after a year of war, industry is pursuing its way under the same depressing conditions of “stop and go” in some occupations as constituted a reproach to the workers engaged in them in time of peace. ,