CO129-608-6 Future policy- port administration 8-1-1949 - 10-3-1949 — Page 8

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labor

& represents the inkusts of the workers

with effect from the 1st January, 1949.

said that he considus

He has also gaten

• v

that both reagoing stevedore other wath on time

comes

labur

8

that when wath front labonn are intimately

he

concerned h the working of

representation

the pour and

the Como he will

mind the need to

fou

direct

नद

of beboux,

bear in

find

nommées

sea grang

tom

acceptable to them all.

to

and stevedore

other water front labour.

ys.

W. L. J. WALLACE

Pag

ED

Government House, Đảng ông.

8th January, 1949.

ge 9

Dear

(8) on 248.

(7) ..

Sidebotham,

Many thanks for your letter No. 54145/1/48 of the 16th October,

1948, about the Port Committee. On receipt of the Secretary of State's

despatch No. 325, I consulted the Port Committee about the addition to their

numbers of an officer from the Labour Department. Their reaction was that

any representation of labour is unnecessary since no question affecting

labour had so far come before the Committee, but that if it was considered

essential that labour should be represented, they would prefer the Commissioner

of Labour to be appointed rather than one of his officers.

20

It occurs to me that one reason why matters affecting labour have

not so far been considered by the Committee has been the absence of any

representative of labour among the members. But there is some force in

the Committee's preference for the Commissioner of Labour in person: other

official members are all heads of Departments, and the Chamber of Commerce

has made a practice of nominating the heads of member shipping firms. I

have therefore appointed the Commissioner of Labour to be an ex officio

member from the 1st of January, 1949.

3.

As regards the second point which you raised, I consider that

both sea-going and stevedore and other water-front labour are intimately

concerned with the working of the port, and when the time comes for the

direct representation of labour on the Committee I will bear in mind the

need to find nominees acceptable to them all.

Yours ever,

Pag

C

J. B. Sidebotham, Esq., C.M.G.,

Colonial Office,

LONDON.

E

ge 9

1949 54145/1

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