THREE-QUARTERS OF AUCKLAND WATERSIDERS UNEMPLOYED

Chronicle (Levin), 10 July 1948, Page 7

THREE-QUARTERS OF AUCKLAND WATERSIDERS UNEMPLOYED

AUCKLAND, July 9. Only a quarter of t.he t.otal inenil>o>'siiip of the Auckland ' branch of the Waterside Workers1 Union was ernployed today as the resuit of the Waterfront Industry Commission p'olicy oi" labour preference for the idle wheal sliip Mouut.park. Alen without ,work numbered 1077 and only '540 were em ployed. The remaining 350 men on Ihe union 'a strength of nearly 2000; were . not available for engagement through illness, liolidays and other reasons. Only 15 men were engaged as replacouients at today 's labour call. A totaJ of 243 was ou penaltv for refusing to lifl thp Mountpark 's hatches,\3f) were on penalty for going'-slow on the sugai ship Droompark, and 45 wero on daily penalty. Another 753 men who reported for work were not engaged. Altbough a large number of overscas and coastal vessels will arrive in the next few days, very fe^^• are' likely to be grantcd labour priorities for essen tial cargoes. It is considered probable. liowevcr, that a few men will be allo cated to the Federal Line motor ship Huntingdon to discharge a large con signment of letter and parcel mai] from Britain. The Huntingdon will arrivi' tomorrow from Liverpool and berth on Sun day morning. Manv of the coastal vessels tradin.i; out of Auckland, have been paid oJT and withdrawn from service followiuL* difficulties in obtaining wharf labour. Only two of the Northeru Coinpany h motor vessels are still running on the Last Coast. The Kapiti, which was paid oir todav, pryvjded, the main linl between Auckland/ und'dbe trreat Uar.. ricr Island. Other sliipS of the fleet-nowidj'e-are the Paroto, Ranginui, Toa and Tuhoe. Two : of " A. • E. Frankham Ltd. 's coastal fleet, .. the Kapuni and Tiry Itave been witiulrawn from thoir service -to northern/;.ports.