CARGO HANDLING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 March 1940, Page 4

CARGO HANDLING

REPORT OF COMMITTEE

RECEIVED BY GOVERNMENT.

COPIES GIVEN TO SHIPOWNERS

AND WATERSIDERS.

(By Telegraph—Press Asoeintion.) WELLINGTON. This Day

The report of th.? interdepartmental committee which has been investigating conditions of employment on the waterfronts of the Dominion with a view to. an improvement, lias been received by the Government.

Copies of this document were made available to representatives of the shipowners and the executive of the Waterside Workers’ Union at a conference with the Government at Parliament House yesterday, and they have agreed to give their observations on the report at a further conference to be held on Monday. The Minister of Labour, Mr. Webb, presided over the conference, and addresses were also given by the Deputy-Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, the Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, and the Minister of Supply, Mr. Sullivan.

In an interview last evening, Mr. Webb said that Mr. Fraser. Mr. Nash and Mr. Sullivan had all emphasised in their addresses the absolute necessity for the utmost co-operation between all sections, not only in the waterfront industry but in every other phase of national life. All Ministers were most definite in their pronouncements that there had to be better organisation on the waterfronts, for the whole prosperity of New Zealand was dependent upon the export of the country’s produce overseas. Any elements causing delay in the export of these goods not only hampered the cause of the Allies but it had an immediate reflex in the sterling exchange overseas, upon which depended their imports of plant and raw mater'al for the development of New Zealand. NEW POLICY CRITICISED BY BOARD CHAIRMAN

SHIFT SYSTEM ADVISED.

AUCKLAND, March 13.

The view that the present system of •non working overtime after they had done a full day's work was unsatisfactory was expressed yesterday by Mr J. H. Kinnear, who, as chairman of the Auckland Waterfront Control Board, has had an unusual opportunity of observing working conditions on the Auckland waterfront. Mr Kinnear was also of the opinion that the decision of the Government to take over the control of the wharves was not a good move. "1 think it would have been better to have given support to the board which the Government originally set up.” he said. “I think it is an attempt to socialise the whole business, and I do not think it will prevent disputes arising.” The Auckland Waterfront Control Board was set up in April of last year, its duties being to investigate and report upon matters relating to wharf work, to endeavour to adjust disputes and to report upon any new methods lor the more efficient handling of cargo. The members of the board are Messrs. R. J. Foreman and G. S. Poole, representing the employers of waterfront labour, and T. H. Solomon and W. J. Cuthbert, president and secretary respectively of the Auckland Waterside Workers Union, with Mr. Kinnear as chairman, and Captain M. T. Holm, manager of the Auckland Waterside Labour Bureau, as secretary.

After, speaking of the good conditions under which tne watersiders worked generally in Auckland and of the satisfactory rates of pay they received, Mr. Kir?»ear said that as chairman of the board he had found the 1 men still had a number of grievances which might have been rectified. “I have come to the conclusion that the men do not want to work overtime,” added Mr. Kinnear. "They are too tired after a heavy day to work additional hours, and there should be a system of eight-hour shifts, each independent of the time the previous one ended. I do not think the system of working overtime is satisfactory.’