Whole Waterfront Affected By Auckland Boycott

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 14930, 18 March 1949, Page 3

Whole Waterfront Affected By Auckland Boycott

Drivers’ Union Lifts

Ban

Decision Of Watersiders Awaited

(P.A.) Auckland, today. The Drivers’ Union boycott against firms that have refused to employ dismissed carpenters has been lifted. Watersiders, the only section of workers now imposing the ban, will decide at a stopwork meeting on Monday whether to withdraw it.

Practically every ship on the Auckland waterfront has now become affected. Today eight overseas ships, two of them in the stream,, and four coastal vessels will be idle. Three overseas and two inter-colonial freighters and large coastal vessels will be partly working, and only two of the larger ships, the tanker Elona and the southern cargo vessel Kaimanawa, will be working normally.

A total of 175 men yesterday refused to accept work on the preference ship Northumberland, and they brought the union membership under penalty to 657. This is just under one-third of the union strength. Departures last night and this morning will increase the number without work. A resolution recommending the ending of the boycott was carried by the Auckland Trades Council last night. It was moved and seconded by two waterside delegates. The motion also called for financial support for the carpenters. The next move is expected to come from the meeting of carpenters in Carlaw Park tomorrow morning. They will discuss the instructions of the national executive of the Federation of Labour to resume normal work.