AN IDLE SHIP

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22513, 22 September 1938, Page 7

AN IDLE SHIP

TO TUB EDITOR OP THE c»K,E£.-. Sir —During the progress of Parliament we heard from the member "for Christchurch North complaints about the watersiders refusing to work in wet weather, etc., and what a great loss was being sustained -by the big ship-ping-companies. Now what a surprise it will be for Mr Holland and his friends, who are continually looking for some small affair to happen on the waterfront, to pinprick the workers, to learn that at least one company is m accord with-the Governments 40-hour week. On Saturday, September 17, a real summer day, when ample labour was available, the City of Winchester, a big overseas liner, was allowed to S^Now! d take I the other side of the question. Had a call been made for labour and the watersiders decided that on such a lovely day as September 17 they would have a day at the seaside with their wives and children, there would have been a howl through the press from the North Cape to Bluff, with headlines in as large a print as possible, something like this: “Hold-up at Lyttelton. Watersiders refuse to work. Ships held up with a serious loss to the company,” etc. In conclusion it is about time the watersiders were granted a 40-hour week, as in other industries. Maybe this is .not far off. as when the workers themselves take on the stevedoring of the ships this will surely come about. -Yours, etc.;, JO.M.

Lyttelton, September 19, 1938. [The manager of the-shipping company , concerned with the City. of Winchester said that the ship had not been standing idle all day. .Rain in Wellington had prevented the completion of coaling there since the watersiders had refused to work. The, consequence was that the rest of the coaling had had‘to be done at Lyttelton. This had taken -all day on . Saturday, and work on-the cargo had been begun on the Monday morning.]