WATERSIDE WORKERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 December 1943, Page 6

WATERSIDE WORKERS

REFUSAL TO WORK OVERTIME NEW DEVELOPMENT AT WELLINGTON (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. All work on the Wellington waterfront ceased at 5 p.m. yesterday, following, it is reliably, stated, the decision of the Waterside Workers' Union not to work after that hour in future till their claims for a three hour minimum pay are agreed to by the Waterside Control Commission and the shipowners. Before the Wellington Watersidcrs’ decision last month to cease work at 9 p.m. on week clays as from December 1 instead of 10 p.m., they received a minimum of four hours pay when they came bad: at G p.m., whether the ship finished work a few minutes after the overtime period started or whether work went on for the full four hours. It is stated that by their decision to stop work at 9 p.m. against the authority of the Waterfront Control Commission the men themselves abrogated this clause in their agreement and this month they have, when working overtime after 6 p.m., been paid only for the time they have actually worked, whether it has been for one, two or three hours.

The men have objected to this and have claimed a three-hour minimum in place of the original four-hour minimum. It is reported that on several occasions this month when they knew a ship had well under three hours’ work to finish at night they have refused to accept overtime and the vessel has been held up till the following day. Yesterday they went a stage further and notified the waterfront control authorities that they would not accept work after 5 p.m. This is stated to be a breach of the agreement, which allows any man to refuse to accept overtime any time if he has a good reason, but specifically forbids the union to do so.