Auckland Wharves Again Working

Chronicle (Levin), 5 November 1949, Page 5

Auckland Wharves Again Working

AUCKLAND, Nov. 4. More than 900 waterside workers | were engaged today to man idle and I partlv working ships at the Auckland j wharves. Union members who had been absent from the waterfront on penalty for refusing to work ships during the overtime labour replacement dispute made up the bulk of the number, only a few non-unionists being required. As a result of the settlement of the dispute on Thursday the port was worked normally for the lirst day since October 26. In spite of the heavy demand for labour sll ships were fullv manned. Four ships resumed work after several days' eoniplete idleness. They were the motor ship Huntingdon loading for London and Cardiff which became idle on Monday and the Government motor vessel . Maui Pomare, the eollier Ivartigi and the inter-eoloniai freighter Kaitoke-, qp which work stopped on Tuesday. Most of the otlier ships required labour to man idle hatches. They included the liner Rangitoto where only one of seven hatches had been worked since Monday, and the freighter Northumberland ou which two of the six hatches stopped discliarging British eargo on Monday. The Rangitoto is expected to sail at 5 p.m. tomorrow for Southhampton and London. This afternoon non-unionists were en'gaged to replace nnionists who did not accept overtime tonight. Unionists and non-union replacements worked together in the evening for the first night since the dispute began. A stop work meeting of the Auckland branch of the Waterside Workers' Union will be held on Monday to hear reports from national officers on the dispute. On Monday the Waterfront Industry Commission at Wellington will hear subinissions from the union and employers on the subject.