Fish decision may hurt port

Press, 20 April 1979, Page 1

Fish decision may hurt port

Shipping reporter

Any extension of the Wesermunde agreement allowing watersiders to unload fishing vessels could end a joint-venture proposal for Lyttelton by a New Zealand-Hong K o n g-Australian consortium.

The Lyttelton Harbour Board’s commercial manager (Mr J. B. Graham) said at a meeting of the board’s port development committee yesterday that decisions reached on fish unloading would influence plans for a processing plant at Lyttelton. “These plans could be adversely affected if waterside labour had to be used to unload' the fishing vessels,” he said. After the meeting, Mr Graham said the consortium was concerned only about the intervention of watersiders for unloading raw fish, and not for the handling of cartons of processed fish for export. The interim agreement for the Wesermunde provides for watersider labour on the deck (three deckmen) and two watersiders as wharf handlers for each gang employed.

From Invercargill the Press Association reports that the Wesermunde could again be forced to lie idle when she arrives back at her berth on Sunday. Although watersiders have gained the right to help unload the vessel, they could be too busy with other ships to unload her immediately.

She is due at Bluff on Sunday with her holds fully loaded. Eight ships were at Bluff yesterday, a large number to be in port at once. While two are expected to sail today waterside workers’ labour will probably still be at a premium when the Wesermunde arrives.