Shipment of eels for export held up

Press, 23 April 1979, Page 2

Shipment of eels for export held up

A special shipment of eels, for export and other cargo* from the Chatham Islands is being held in the Holmdale at Lyttelton because of a seamen’s dispute with the* Union Steam Ship Company,! Ltd. The seamen plan to picket'; the ship today to stop any I attempt to discharge the | cargo but inquiries yesterday* indicated that no waterfront! labour had been ordered toi work the ship this morning. | The dispute has already! seriously interrupted thee ship’s annual survey and is; expected to cause a delay! with her return to service in, time to take equipment to the Chatham Islands needed ; for the start of the cray-l fishing season. Further talks are expected*' today between the Union' Steam Ship Company in | Wellington and the national]: office of the Seamen’s : Union, in a bid to get the I; cargo discharged. The Holmdale's survey is;] expected to take about 21 weeks. The crew was paid* off when the ship arrived from the Chatham Islands ** last week. Standby work!' was offered to the seamen. !; A similar decision was [1 made recently with the'.Union Auckland at Auck- t

I land. About eight seamen, I are involved in the Holmdale* I dispute and want to stay! *signed on. The Shipping Industry* Tribunal may be asked to! i intervene this week to* (enable the cargo to be] .cleared from the ship. | The seamen want fuil victualling and accommodation! allowances for the survev (period instead of reporting .■daily on a standby basis! [from their own homes ori [private accommodation ar-i irangements. ! The Union Steam Ship! [Company and the New Zea-I land Shipping Corporation (are believed over the last (few years to have departed from previously established .agreements where seamen • were automatically paid off| if the survey exceeded more* (than a few days. The seamen could sign on| | in other ships or work on 1 standby and then sign on; (articles when the ship re-11 (turned to sea. Some of the seamen have served in the*' Holmdale for eight years! land live at Lyttelton. . The managing director ofji [the Chatham Islands Packag-' ling Company (Mr R. Cl* (Wills) said his company had! about 20 tonnes of eels on]' board urgently needed over-!; seas to establish a new 11 export venture. 1

, “I have already sent al [sample consignment by air. 1 The eels in the Holmdalei (should be in a container! ■now and ready for overseas (shipment if I am to keep my| (delivery schedule,” he said. * Other frozen cargo aboard; [the Holmdale is delaying thej (survey of the refrigeration] (equipment which could not! Ibe started -m Friday with (the fish still on board. ! Mr Wills said that apart [ from the present problem, (he was more concerned j about a possible delay with (the ship’s returning to (schedule on May 4 to take trucks, cartons, and other equipment for the start of the crayfishing season. Air-freight cargo for the* 'Chatham Islands was al- | ready building up, he said, [and a delay by the Holmdale (would seriously aggravate the situation at a vital time (of the year. The South Island regional ; manager of the Union Steam Ship Company (Mr R. .1. I O’Brien) said that the ship ) was in dispute but he was (hopeful of an early settlement. [ If this was achieved, Mr (O’Brien said, there was a i possibility that some of the (lost survey time could be (made up and the ship be 'back on service not far, 'behind schedule.