FISHING DISPUTE

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21865, 19 August 1936, Page 12

FISHING DISPUTE

TRAWLERS HELD UP AT LYTTELTON ONE VESSEL AT SEA WITH “SCRATCH” CREW MEN SEEK RESTORATION OF 1931 WAGE SCALE While the Lyttelton trawler crews employed by P. Feron and Son have refused duty pending the satisfactory settlement of a dispute which arose on Sunday, one of the trawle+s, the Phyllis, left port at a late hour on Monday night with a .“f c £ 9 l ci ? crew recruited from Christchurch, and had not reported back at her base early this morning. Meanwhile the permanent members of the Phyilis’s crew arc awaiting her return to reclaim personal gear and belongings which, they state, were left aboarc. the vessel on Sunday. Two vessels, the Phyllis, carrying a crew of eight, and the Muriel, with a complement of six hands, were laid up on Sunday morning when the men and their employers failed to reach terms in a dispute over wages and conditions of work- The departure of the Phyllis at 11.30 p.m. on Monday aroused considerable resentment among the original members of the crew, and it is believed steps were taken yesterday to secure police protection for the vessel on its return to pert. Although a keen lookout was maintained last evening for the Phyllis the vessel had not been sighted at an early hour this morning. Grcunds cf the Dispute

The grounds of the dispute were requests made by the crews of the two trawlers, for a restoration of the 1931 wages scale, in conformity with the order recently enacted by Parliament. The manager of the employing company, Mr E. J. Newman, refused this request on the ground that no award existed in 1931 for the employees of trawling companies, and the legislation therefore did not apply to the crews of the Phyllis and Muriel. The men state that repeated endeavours were made during the last six weeks to arrange a conference with Mr Newman, but no satisfaction was received until last Sunday, when matters came to a head. Recently, the members of the two crews have been organised and have become members cf the Seamen’s Union, which has now taken up their cose. When the full restoration of the 1931 scale was refused, tre men submitted that they ad received cuts in their wages, and the, asked for the restoration of half the difference be-i tween tha present scale and that existing in 1929, in effect, an increase pf 10s a week for all employees. At the same time • they sought a readjustment of their working week in order to give them the wnek-end ashore. Under present conditions the men’s week starts at 7 a.m. on the Sunday and finishes at noon on the Friday. They claimed, however, that they could as easily commence on Monday morning and finish at noon pn Saturday, and they accordingly sought an assurance that they wou’d not be sent to sea on Sundays unless mey were paid double time. Trawler with ’‘Scratch” Crew These requests were refused by the employers, and on Sunday last the crews of the Phyllis and the Muriel refused to take the boats to sea. Both vessels were held Up throughput Sunday and Monday, but late on Monday night the Phyllis left port with a “scratch” crew, obtained, it Is believed, in Christchurch. Endeavours to procure a crew to work the Muriel were unsuccessful, and the vessel is stiff laid «P at her berth, The crews of the two trawlers met in Lyttelton yesterday, when it was decided to make no ch nge in the attitude that had been taken UP, The men, it is learned, now have the support of the Seamen’? Union - and also of the Waterside Workers’ Union, and they hope to reach a settlement on terms more favourable to themselves, It is not possible to ascertain, at present, whether these two unions contemplate taking any action in sympathy with the trawler crews, However, a significant development occurred yesterday morning, when a consignment of several cases of fish which was to have been loaded on _ the intercolonial steamer Waikouaiti for dispatch to Sydney, was left standing on the wharf- It ip understood thpt hints were given that the vessel would not be taken to sea if the lisp was loaded aboard. In any event no attempt was made to have the fish loaded, and the consignment was sent buck to Christchurch when the Waikouaiti sailed from Lyttelton at noon, Meanwhile, representatives of the men had communicated with the Minister for Marine (the Hon. P. Fraser), and a conference was held on the ferry wharf on Monday evening before the Minister sailed on the Maoris for Wellington; Little progress was made towards the settlement of the dispute, but it is understood that the Minister urged the men to return to work and await the granting of a Dominion award for the adjustment of their grievances,