When Watersiders Wanted To Work

Chronicle (Levin), 23 July 1948, Page 5

When Watersiders Wanted To Work

— Press Association)

(Per .

CHRISTCHURCH, July 22. A Gilbertian sitpation fleveloped a^ Lyttelton this moming when in spite of the obstaeles put in their way, the waterside workers continued to load frozen meat for Britain ahoard tlie liner Waiwera. The harhour hoa / electric crane drivers were told not to work thc ship when they reported xoi duty at 8 o'clock, hut after consulcatiqn with the union. they continued' to operate. At noon, nowever, the drivers were ordered to stop work and the cranes were moved away from the ship. When the watersiders arrived to man the Waiwera they found that the aceess hatehes to the holds were locked, that the power was off for the hold lights, and there was no power to wcrk the ship's electric wiaches, By "lunch time the railwaymen at Lyttelton had- hecome involved. Shunt ers at the port, aware that the pcwer had heen cut off to the wharf crares. decided that they would not be parties to any move to return frozen meat triicks to the works. Tlie executive of tlie Lyttelton Um bpur Board Lmployecs ' Union met and recomniended tlie Minister of Labuiir (Mr. McLagan) to call a meeting o' tlie parties involved. On Tuesday tlie shipping company 's ofticial.s, it is stated, made oue of their periodical raids after the spell and found t hut 44 men who should have come baclc to work had faiied to do so. The men were dismissetl. A similar raid was made yesterday afternoon and another 20 men were disinissed. Tlie union was asked to make a replaccnieut of the 1)4 men and refused to do so. The 64 disinissed men Lurned up with the remainder — a total of 17-^mcii — to work the Waiwera this niorniirg. Where normally the watersiders npght have stopped work, they had something at stake in the Waiwera. Since she has heen in port the watersiders haye made no secret of the raet ttmt they wanted to load her in record time as a gesture in the Aid to Britain Campaign. A good rate of loacling frozen niutton is between 700 and 800 carcases an hour, and up till Tuesday the vessel was being loaded at more thap 1000 'carcases an hour, and loading was actually two or three days ahead of schedule. The men gained a completc victory when tliey returned after lunch. The .Uarbour Board cranes which had been shifted, were moved baek to tfie ship's side, power was turned on to the winclies and the hold lights, aiul work continued under normal conditions.