DEMANDS BY CREW HOLD UP STEAMER

Chronicle (Levin), 20 May 1947, Page 7

DEMANDS BY CREW HOLD UP STEAMER

CHEISTCH'UECH, May 19. Eeady to sail at 2' p.m. la^t Saturday with a general cargo of 6000 tons, including a quantity p.£ potatoes which are semi-perishable,.t the. British moto] vessel Ambassador ia'still at Lyttelton,, the hold-up. being -eaused by the demana of the crew th^t cpnditipns should be the same as on New'Zealaffd ships. The Ambassador, (whicli has been on the inter-colonial serviee for some months,. is now; under charter to the Union Company h'hich has placed her ' on the coastal run to assist.in the cargo trade , between New Zealand ports. The vessel has b'een a fortnight" in Lyttelton loading after a call at Timaru. The fuii loading-was finished at noon on Saturday and the vessel ' was ready to san when the demand for New Zealand sea rnen's wages and conditions was made. Although no official inf ormation was available at either Lyteelton or Christchurch today, it was stated that most of the offieers and engineers were prepared to take the vessel to sea but that 13 members of the crew, nine in the deck department'' and four in the engineroom, refused to sail unless the demands were complied with. No settlement was reaehed today in negotiations between the Lyttelton branch of the Seamen's Union (which is handling the dispute ior the British seamen) and the eharterers of the vessel. The demands niade have been referred to the owners of the Ambassador in London.