CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1922, Page 6

CONCILIATION COUNCIL.

DISPUTES REFERRED TO COURT. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, April 19. Another phase of the wages question was touched upon yesterday when the claims of the New Zealand marine cooks and stewards were taken before the Conciliation Commissioner. The union claimed an increase in wages of £3 10s per month. This demand was resisted by the other side, the Union Steamship Company, who proposed a reduction of £4 a month, Messrs. Kennedy and Walsh appeared in support of the claims, and the representatives of the Union Company were Messrs. Smith, Young and Naysmith. At the outset the commissioner said it seemed to him in connection with these disputes that there -was rather much tendency on the part of the employers to say that there was no possibility of reaching an agreement. “I do not know' whether this is the case or not, but it seems to me there is a tendency to say ‘let the matter go to court.’” The commissioner wanted to know if there was no possibility of settling the dispute here. Mr. Smith said he was prepared to go through with it. They had never made a statement that there was no possibility of settlement. To Mr. Kennedy Mr. Smith remarked: “You are opening your mouth pretty wide,” and Mr. Kennedy replied, “Not bad. When you have a bite you might just as well have a good one.” Mr. Kennedy said he was prepared to allow the wages clause to go straight to the court. It could not be agreed upon. Regarding the question of preference. Mr. Smith said they were not going to agree to preference. Mr. Kennedy said there would not be the same argument this time against preference as had been put forward last time. Then it was said that there were' Germans in the union, but. since then he had observed that shipowners were taking German shipping lines back into their society.

An agreement was reached on lialf-a-dozen minor matters, but the majority of claims were referred to the court. The whole of the cross application made by the company was referred to the court, and the same applies to the stewards’ section of the dispute.

A dispute filed by the Union Steamship Company against the Chief Stewards’ Guild came before the Conciliation commissioner, Mr. W. Newton, this morning. The company proposes to reduce chief stewards’ wages by £4 10s per month, whereas the guild is seeking an increase on the present rates of £3 10s a month. During the proceedings the company’s assessors intimated that they would offer the present rates without bonuses, but the assessors for the guild refused to accept on the ground that it was tantamount to a 25 per cent, reduction. As no agreement was reached on the principal matters under discussion the dispute was referred to the Arbitration Court.