WORK HELD UP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 January 1942, Page 2

WORK HELD UP

ON WATERSIDE FRONT TROUBLE IN WELLINGTON. OVER OUTSIDE LABOUR (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Work was held up on the Wellington waterfront for four hours yesterday afternoon as the result of strong objection being taken by the local watersiders to the action of the Waterfront Control Commission in bringing members of branches from other ports to facilitate the rapid handling of the work of the port, without, it. is stated, consulting the Wellington union. A stopwork meeting was held to discuss the position, and it was agreed to resume work at 6 p.m., and also seek an interview with the. Prime Minister, the Minister of Labour, Mr Webb, being absent in Auckland. Representations on the matter were heard last night by the Prime Minister from deputations representing the Wellington Waterside Workers’ Union, headed by Mr E. E. Canham, and from the Waterfront Control Commission, which was represented by executive officers, the commissioners being absent from Wellington. It was stated yesterday that the stopwork meeting of the union discussed not only the question of the introduction of additional labour without consulting the Wellington union, but also a further complaint regarding the allocation of the working of special cargoes which carry an increased rate of pay. The members of the Wellington union were taken by surprise at the arrival of outside union labour. “We have seen the Prime Minister and we believe that the matter will be straightened out without repetition,” said Mr Canham last night. RESULT OF MISUNDERSTANDING. STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. In connection with the waterfront dispute, the Prime Minister, Mr P. Fraser, issued a statement early this morning to the effect that the dispute had arisen as the result of a misunderstanding. He had pointed out to the Union the imperative necessity for uninterrupted work on the waterfront during the war period. He said he would write to the executive of the local union asking for a definite undertaking that such stoppages should not occur in future, and, if such a guarantee was not forthcoming, the Government would take whatever action was necessary for uninterrupted work of the port. Mr E. E. Canham, on behalf of the Watersiders’ Union, also stated that the dispute had arisen from a misunderstanding, through the men coming from other ports being given the best jobs.