WORK ON THE WANGANELLA

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25161, 17 April 1947, Page 6

WORK ON THE WANGANELLA

WATERSIDERS REFUSE OVERTIME

PREPARING JOB FOR BOILERMAKERS

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 17. Waterside workers who were asked to work through the night to rush through the job of clearing the Wanganella to make ready for repairs, refused to do so to-day. They walked off the job in the afternoon. There is no definite indication of when they will return. Mr James Cable, of William Cable and Company, Ltd., contractors for repairs to the liner, said to-night that to get the job done and the ship removed at the earliest opportunity, waterside workers had been asked to work continuously on a 24-hour basis, with consequent overtime payments. They were employed for the removal of the oil tanks and No. 3 tank top, also clearing up as a preliminary to the job the boilermakers would do. The watersiders’ work would have taken probably another two days on a 24-hour basis. The men, however, left the ship in the late afternoon to return, he presumed, to-morrow morning. “They have apparently decided to work a 40-hour week and prolong the agony of this Wanganella affair,” said Mr Cable. “Their job will take more than twice as long.’’ said Mr Cable. Mr P. E. Warner, secretary of the Boilermakers’ Union, had taken 11 members of his union away from their employment with Cable and Company for. the last three days, the reason given being that they were needed to prepare the union’s case in the current dispute over wage rates on the Wanganella. So far there was no indication when these men would come back to work. They had not so far been needed for the actual Wanganella job, but some could start there almost immediately. It seemed farcical. Mr Cable said, for Mr Warner to be telling the world about the union’s eagerness to start work again. He had protested to Mr Warner that 11 men surely did not need to be taken away from work to prepare the union’s case, but Mr Warner insisted that they were required. Another development in the Wanganella dispute to-day was the announcement that the tribunal ordered by the Minister of Labour (Mr A. McLagan) under the Strikes and Lockouts Emergency Regulations is scheduled to sit at 10 o’clock to-mor-row morning, with Mr S. Ritchie, conciliation commissioner, presiding. The employers’ representatives will be Mr James Cable, managing director of William Cable and Company, Ltd.. Mr K. A. Belford, of the Union Steam Ship Company, and Mr C. G. Camp, managing secretary of the Employers’ Federation.