FERRY SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 20 December 1920, Page 4

FERRY SERVICE

' HOLD-UP TURK A TUNED. (Por Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 18. It is understood that there is a possibility of the ferry service being held up next week, owing to the Marine Cooks and Stewards’ Union ceasing work as a result of a dispute .with the Union Steamship Company regarding the payment of a bonus of £2 a month. A member of the union informed a representative of “The Press” yesterday that meetings of members of the union were held on the ferry steamers the previous day, when it was unanimously agreed to hand in to-day at Wellington and Lyttelton 24 hours’ notice of their intention to quit the ships. The notices will be effective on Monday, and should no agreement be arrived at in the meantime, the ferry service may be temporarily suspended.

Under the Board of Trade regulations it is not compulsory for a vessel to carry cooks or stewards, although the crew must be provided with a certain standard of food. This means that it is only necessary to carry a cook for the crew. Therefore, if necessary, the ferry steamers could be run without stewards.

The question is whether in this event the seamen- and firemen would act in

sympathy. It is expected in shipping circles that they would do so, but up till a late hour last night no instructions had been received in Lyttelton from the headquarters of the Seamen’s and Firemen’s Union in Wellington in tlie matter.

If the cooks and stewards do take action it will be the first time they have done so since the operation of unionism in New Zealand.