H—4s

Due to restriction in size of report, it lias not been possible to publish the tables, which will be printed later as an Appendix. Costs will be supplied under the following headings:— Contract " Extras {a) Hatches, Standby Time, &c. (b) Extra Labour. (c) Cost-of-living B'onus. (d) Special Cargo Rates, &c. Total " Extras " (excluding Overtime). Contract " Rates " (a) Cargo—Ship. (b) Cargo —Shippers (if any). (c) " Top " Hatches (if any). OvertimeOrdinary. Special. Total " Co-operative Contract Price." Supervision Fund. Annual Holidays Fund. National Pay Office Fund. Total Contract Account. (iii) Profit Distribution Included in Appendix (page 42) is a table summarizing the profit distributed under the co-operative contracting system for each class of contract at each port for the fiveyear period 1940-45 for the year ended 31st March, 1946, and totals to that date. It will be seen that £187,594 was distributed during the year at a " winch " time rate of 10*48 d. per hour, as against £172,667 distributed for year ended 31st March, 1945, at rate of 9-93 d. per hour, an increase 'of £14,927 and an increased rate of over |d. per hour. The amount of profit distributed from commencement of contracting until 31st March, 1946, was £855,905 at a " winch " time rate of 9-ld. per hour. 3. DISPUTES AND STOPPAGES OF WORK Published in the Appendix (page 61) 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, 1946, the percentage of man-hours lost through strikes and stoppages of work was 0*93, as against an average of 0-41 for the previous five years. The increase this year was due to two major disputes, one at Auckland and one at Lyttelton. The Auckland dispute, which involved a loss of 73,680 man-hours, was brought about by a stoppage of work on one ship following a demand by the union for reinstatement of a worker dismissed by the foreman for alleged abusive language. The dispute spread throughout the port by the union introducing a " go-slow " policy. During the go-slow the men were paid the amount earned under contract, and payments averaged only approximately ss. per day. The dispute at Lyttelton arose in connection with a claim for payment of dirt-money for handling lamp-black, the union claiming a higher rate than was determined by the Waterfront Controller. 4. RATES OF PAY On the 17th March, 1945, the Court of Arbitration issued a pronouncement which increased the standard minimum hourly rates of wages by 3|d. per hour, effective as from Ist April, 1945.

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