IMPROVISED LOADING OF WAIWERA

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

IMPROVISED LOADING OF WAIWERA

Commandeering rope ladders and any ladders about the waterfront, waterside worker?, some with kerosene lamps they had brought from their homes, went down into the holds of the Shaw Savill and Albion motorship Waiwera at Gladstone Pier yesterday morning and loaded frozen meat.

Announcing that they would load the ship, even if they had to carry the meat aboard carcase by carcase, the waterside workers went on loading, although they had been dismissed on Tuesday. About 60 of the 90 men—six gangs of 15, 12 being on freezer stowing and three landing in each gang—were dismissed when 44 of the 90 men were found “spelling” on deck. Under the agreement with the union, the men on all ships are permitted to relieve each other to obtain refreshments between 9.30 a.m. and 10.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m. and 3.30 p.m., the men to be available to the employers as required for the rest of working time. The “spelling” question is a longstanding one of dispute on the waterfront. Formerly, long spells were taken by the men. When the men were dismissed they refused to accept the dismissal notice and worked throughout Tuesday afternoon, although the position was made clear to them by the employers that they would not be paid and that they were working at their own risk, the latter suggestion being interpreted that employer liability in the event of accident or injury would be denied. Rain on Wednesday held up all work in the port and the Waiwera incident did not develop until yesterday. When the men arrived, yesterday, determined to load the ship within the schedule of loading fixed under the co-operative waterfront agreement, they found the manholes to the holds locked. The men took off the hatches and. with makeshift ladders, descended into the holds. Then they found that the lights had been cut off and that the power had been cut off from the electric winches. Some went to their homes to bring back lamps and others worked in the darkness.

Crane drivers employed by the Lyttelton Harbour Board had also been dismissed on arrival, but they also refused to stop work. Long lines of meat vans were already on the wharf and all hands were soon busy making up slings of carcases which were rapidly hoisted aboard. TJie gangs which would have been employed on the ship’s gear and who could not work because of the cutting off of the winches, doubled

up. with the electric crane gangs, so that two gangs were serving each of the five cranes. The men worked with a will, and it is probable that never before in New Zealand has meat been loaded so quickly. Good humour prevailed, and most of the men were talkative. They said that the meat was for Britain and they were determined to get the ship away. “The employers have been drilling it into us, that when a dispute arises work must go on as usual until th? matter is dealt with by the Port Committee,” said one man. “Well, there is a dispute, and we are carrying on.” Another watersider claimed that the employers had that morning broken almost all the rules. According to the watersiders, work on the Waiwera was three days ahead of schedule and from the commencement of loading, the number of carcases handled each hour was considerably above the schedule number. The Waiwera will take from Lyttelton approximately 217,000 freight carcases of mutton and lamb. Normal Work Resumed When the watersiders returned to the ship after lunch, they found the electric cranes “nested” at the far end of the Gladstone pier. Most knew that the order had already been given from' Wellington that “normal work” was to be resumed. While the cranes were being moved back, meat was loaded into the forward holds of the Waiwera by the ship’s gear. By 1.45 p.m., all the cranes were working. A meeting of the Port Committee was originally called for 1.15 p.m. but was deferred until 3 p.m. When asked afterwards if the decision of the committee was available for publication, Captain McArthur (Waterfront Commissioner at Lyttelton) said that neither he nor any member of the committee could disclose the finding of the committee. That information would have to come from the head office of the Waterfront Industry Commission at Wellington. When the suggestion was made that railwaymen might be asked to 'stop shunting waggons for the Waiwera, a meeting of the Lyttelton branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants was called, ana the following motion was passed: ‘lt is the opinion of this branch that work should continue on the Waiwera pending a settlement of the dispute. We will refuse to carry out any duties which will prevent me loading of the ship, such as might involve the removal of meat from the wharf before noon on Friday, when the matter will be reviewed.”