H—4s

(/) MULTIPLICITY OF MARKS The multiplicity of marks of cargo discharged is a major cause of shed congestion. The Commission has taken steps to deal with this matter so far as the shipment of potatoes is concerned, and the Auckland Fact Finding Committee has represented the matter to the Chamber of Commerce with a view to a reduction being effected in the marks of standard packages. {g) SPELLING During the year, port Committees at Wellington and Lyttelton reached agreement whereby workers are allowed to relieve one another for a reasonable rest period, or " smoke-oh," in each four-hour period during the morning and afternoon. This agreement has resulted in improvement at these two ports. No agreement has been reached regarding the Port of Auckland, and the practice of spelling is still unsatisfactory at that port. (ih) DISPUTES INVOLVING STOPPAGES OF WORK Published in the Appendix (page 75) is a table summarizing the man-hours lost through stoppages of work on the waterfront during the period of Commission control and for the four-year period 1937-40, prior to Commission control. During the year ended 31st March, 1948, the percentage of man-hours lost through disputes involving stoppage of work was I*7B per cent., as against 2-64 per cent, for the preceding year. The average percentage of man-hours lost during the period of Commission control from 1941-48 was 0-95 per cent., as compared with 0-80 per cent, for the four years prior to Commission control. Of the total of 221,038 man-hours lost during the year, 212,780 man-hours were lost at the Port of Auckland. Three major disputes developed at this port during the year. The first dispute concerned a demand by ship work carpenters, who are members of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Union but not under Commission jurisdiction, for an increase in wages of 6d. per hour and to be brought under Commission control. Waterside workers, in support of the shipwork carpenters, refused to handle dunnage in the customary manner, and this resulted in their dismissal and the extension of the dispute throughout the port. Normal work was resumed following a direction from the national executive of the New Zealand Waterside Workers' Union after consultation with the Federation of Labour. The second dispute concerned a demand for extra dirt-money payment for discharging phosphul from the vessel " Cape York " ; and the third dispute concerned the handling of the hatches of the " Mountpark " in February last. 3. CO-OPERATIVE CONTRACTING (a) VALUE OF CONTRACTS AND TONNAGES HANDLED

Summarized below is a statement showing tonnages of contracts handled during the last three years and total to 31st March, 1948 :

8

Year. Number of Contracts. Value. Tonnage. £ 1945-46 3,738 1,801,713 4,638,912 1946-47 3,717 1,811,214 4,818,915 1947-48 4,127 2,275,722 5,562,895 1940-48 25,801 13,040,689 33,025,089