NEW DISPUTE AT LYTTELTON

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25554, 23 July 1948, Page 6

NEW DISPUTE AT LYTTELTON

Refusal To Lift Hatches On

Fort Michipicoten

RULING AGAINST EMPLOYERS IN WAIWERA ISSUE

. A few hours after the Port Controller (Captain M. M. McArthur) had announced that, in closing down the loading of the overseas ship Waiwera, the employers had violated a clause of the Waterfront Commission’s order that work must continue pending a meeting of the port committee, a new dispute developed at Lyttelton yesterday.

Waterside workers refused to lift the top hatches of the steamer Fort Michipicoten, with cargo from Port Kembla, Newcastle and Sydney to discharge. The demand of the waterside workers that they should be allowed to sling the hatches off was refused, and power for the working of the slings was cut off. Earlier in the day, power to work slings on the Waiwera, loading meat for Britain, and to provide light for work in the holds was cut off when waterside workers, dismissed on Tuesday, continued to load the meat without pay. Cranes belonging to the Lyttelton Harbour Board were shifted away from the ship at noon, but under an order from Wellington the cranes were returned to the ship’s side after 1 p.m., when loading by slings was begun, and the loading continued normally. Later in the afternoon, the Port Committee met and a ruling, was given against the employers, who dismissed the gangs on Tuesday for “spelling,” for not continuing work pending the hearing of the dispute.

Major developments are expected at Lyttelton to-day, the Fort Michipicoten dispute being described as similar to the dispute over the sugar boat Broompark at Chelsea, Auckland.

No information on the Fort Michipicoten dispute was available from shipping company representatives or the Lyttelton Waterside Workers’ Union at a late hour last evening.

The hatch dispute on the Fort Michipicoten is a new development at Lyttelton. The vessel was handled by the watersiders on an earlier trip without any trouble. Loaded at Port Kembla, Newcastle, and Sydney, she brought a cargo of poles, steel, pig iron, implements, and a large consignment of oranges and pineapples on her present trip. The vessel was worked on Tuesday and rain on Wednesday held up work. Normal work was done yesterday morning, but the dispute then arose and the ship became idle. Normal work was carried out yesterday afternoon on the Waiwera, loading frozen meat for Britain, the Mill Hill, loading pinus insignis tim-

ber for Australia, and the Kamo, handling coastal cargo. These were the only vessels in port, besides the steamer express Hinemoa. The dispute on the Broompark- at Chelsea began on June 30, when two gangs of Auckland waterside workers discharging sugar were dismissed under three days’ penalty for refusing to lift hatches from two holds by hancf The men subsequently attempted to move the hatches by slings and were stopped by the turning off of steam to the Broompark’s winches. The holds have not been worked since, but the incident has been placed on the order of reference for the tribunal to discuss the major Mountpark dispute. Work of unloading" the Broompark has been further held up by the discharge of waterside workers in two holds because hull stresses were being caused, and the stability of the ship was threatened.