CARGO HUNG UP

Evening Star, Issue 22442, 12 September 1936, Page 10

CARGO HUNG UP

WATERSIDE DISPUTES THIRD HALT IH WEEK [Per United Press Association-! AUCKLAND, September 11. For the third time within a week cargo operations on the Auckland waterfront were held up to-day owing to the action of the waterside workers. They refused to unload cargo from the British motor ship Ashburton .this morning, although work was begun on the vessel in the afternoon, and as an indirect result cargo on the Shaw, Savill, and Albion liner Tamaroa could not be unloaded. Amother sequel was a temporary delay in work on the Federal Line steamer Surrey. A week of sporadic stoppages in waterside work commenced last Friday, when the men refused to work after 5 p.m. This affected the Matson liner Monterey, the Port Line steamer Port Hunter, the Port Line motor ship Port Hobart, and the Union Company s steamer Waipiata. On Thursday night and to-night, the waterside workers refused to work overtime on the Union Company’s chartered steamer Narbada. Officials of the Waterside Workers’ Union refused to comment on the matter or furnish any reason for the men’s actions. . The' Ashburton arrived from New York on Wednesday afternoon, discharging operations cominenced on Thursday morning and continuing until 10 p.m. Owing to a,shortage of union labour, a number of non-union men had to be employed. In accordance with the award, non-union men had to be replaced with union members this morning, if possible. The waterside workers had taken off the hatches preparatory to unloading more cargo this morning, when it was learned that a member of the union had been .refused engagement. The men then left the vessel, stating that they would not continue work in view of the employers’ action. The men working on the Surrey were informed of the dispute apd stopped work, but when they learned the nature ol : _ the trouble they resumed cargo operations. Particulars of the. dispute were communicated to Wellington, and the Shipowners’ Federation issued instructions ■that no more waterside labour was to be engaged at Auckland until work on the Ashburton had been continued. The men who went . ashore from the Ashburton refused a request to begin work again, but altered their decision later and resumed at 1.30 p.m. As a result of this dispute. several gangs of men who would have been engaged to unload the Tamaroa, which arrived from London at noon, were not called upon. Calls for labour on the waterfront are made only between 8 a.m. and 10.30 a.m., and the dispute was not settled in time for calls to be made; consequently, no work was done on the vessel. The Narbada arrived from Calcutta and other Eastern ports last Saturday, and unloading was begun on Monday morning. Overtime work was not necessary on* Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, but the waterside workers refused to work on the vessel after their tea hour when requested to do so on Thursday and to-day.

WELLINGTON, September 11. Owing to a dispute with the water-' side workers little work was done today on the coastal steamer Holmdale. The ship was expected to arrive early yesterday afternoon. The employers nominated labour for 1 p.m., but when there was no sign of the vessel early in the afternoon the nomination was cancelled. The men were re-engaged at 7.45 a.m. to-day, but before commencing work demanded payment for the two-Jiour minimum yesterday. The employers refused, whereupon the men refused to w Negotiations during the morning resulted in the men beginning work at 1.30, but later when overtime was called for they refused to work after 5 p.m. The ship’s departure for Picton and Wanganui has been postponed till to-morrow.