CARGO HANDLING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 March 1939, Page 5

CARGO HANDLING

CONSTITUTION OF NEW BOARDS

IMPROVEMENT OF METHODS TO BE STUDIED. MACHINERY FOR ADJUSTMENT OF DISPUTES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Before the conclusion on Saturday of the meeting of the special committee which has been considering proposals for an improvement in the handling of cargo at New Zealand parts the Prime Minister, Mr Savage, briefly addressed members of the committee. Mr Savage and the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, who presided, both expressed approval of the committee’s decision to establish waterfront transport control boards. Mr W. H. G. Bennett, for the employers, and Mr J. Roberts, for the employees, said that if the agreements made 'by the corqmittee were carried into proper effect it would start a new era in the history of waterfront work in New Zealand. Tributes were paid by the speakers to Mr Webb’s chairmanship. The constitution and duties of the waterfront transport control boards to be established in accordance with aj decision of the special committee were announced by the Minister of Labour. Local boards are to use every effort to adjust disputes and prevent stoppages on the waterfronts. Reports from these boards will be considered and co-ordinated by a national board which will make investigations and recommendations to the Minister oi Labour.. The constitution of the boards as

adopted by the committee is as follows:— (1) That local boards be set up in the following centres: Auckland, Wellington, Lyttelton, Dunedin, Bluff, Pori Chalmers, Oamaru, Timaru, Greymouth. Westport, Nelson, Picton. Napier, Gisborne, Wanganui, and New Plymouth. These local boards are to consist of two representatives of the employers and two representatives of the workers,, together with a chairman appointed by the parties. In the event of the parties being unable to agree on the appointment of a chairman, the chairman shall be selected by the Minister of Labour. (2) The duties of the local boards shall be to investigate and report on all matters in relation to working on the wharves and to use every effort to adjust disputes so that no stoppages shall occur on the waterfronts, and to report on any new method or methods for’ the more efficient loading or discharging of cargo. (3) Local boards shall report to the national board hereinafter provided, and if necessary in cases of emergency they may report direct to the Minister of Labour. (4) A national board shall also be established and shall consist of three representatives of the employers of waterside labour and three representatives of the union with a chairman to be appointed by the parties. In the event of the parties not being able to agree on the appointment of a chairman, the chairman shall be selected by the Minister of Labour. (5) The duties of the national board shall be to consider and coordinate reports received from local boards, to make such investigations as they deem necessary at any port or ports throughout New Zealand, to report to the Minister from time to time and make recommendations: — (a) On the improvements which should be adopted for the more efficient, carrying on of the work. (b) On a more efficient system of the utilisation of the labour available on the waterfront. fc) On any new method or methods for employing labour which, in the opinion of the board, would be in the interests of the employers, the workers, and the industry as a whole. (6) The national and local boards shall have full liberty to make any investigations they deem advisable.