MEAT NOT LOADED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 261, 3 November 1932, Page 8

MEAT NOT LOADED.

WATERSIDERS , REFUSAL

PORT GISBORNE'S CARGO.

NO EXPLANATION; BY UNION.

Members of the Auckland. Waterside Workers' Union "refused this morning to load frozen meat into the Commonwealth and Dominion Line motor ship Port Gisborne at the Central wharf. The men's refusal to handle the meat was not unexpected, as similar action was taken by the watersiders at Wellington last Officials'of the Watersidere' Union declined to make any comment on the men's action, but it is understood from inquiries made elsewhere that the , men wero guided in their action by what took place at Wellington, believing that they would be disloyal to the Wellington workers if they handled cargo whicn had been left alone at another port.

■ At eight o'clock this morning- a number of railway wagons containing freight carcases were on the wharf; but when the men saw the nature of the cargothey declined to handle it. The loading of the ship with butter, cheese and other cargo, however, went on without interruption. ; '. • . • ,-nn In refusing to Joad the ship with 1500 freight carcases of frozen meat at Wellington on Saturday morning last the Wellington watereiders gave no explanation, simply walking off the wharf and leaving the cargo untouched. The consignment was from the Waingawa works which are at present operating with free labour owing to the freezing workers' dispute. When the men refused to touch the cargo at Wellington no attempt was made to load with other labour, the ship sailing for Auckland at midday. Since her arrival on Monday morning, the Port Gisborne has been loading each day, but it was not until this morning that frozen meat was taken to. the wharf.' According to the Dominion ■dairy, produce allotments schedule, the ship is, to lift 98,000 boxes of butter and '8130 crates of cheese at Auckland. When the Rcmuera loaded at Auckland recently the watersiders at first declined to handle dairy produce handled by free labour, but aftef. a delay of one day the men accepted the -work and since "then no'hold-up in connection with the .handling of butter, and cheese has occurred. The local agents for the Port Gisborne, the Farmers' Co-operative Auctioneering Company, announced this afternoon that the vessel would sail for London, via the Panama Canal,-at midday to 7 morrow. An earlier sailing was not possible, as mail arrangements had already been finr.lised.