HIGHER FREIGHT RATES

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26528, 17 September 1951, Page 6

HIGHER FREIGHT RATES

CARGO WORKERS DENY BLAME

NEW AUCKLAND UNION ISSUES STATEMENT (New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, September 15. Members of the Auckland Cargo Workers Union say they are not in any way responsible for any alleged increases in shipping companies’ costs which might justify the 10 per cent, increase in shipping freights from New Zealand to Britain and Europe, which was announced last evening. In a statement to-day, the executive of the union quoted figures to show how shipowners had been saved money by faster cargo handling since the union had been formed. Factors beyond the control of the union might well be the real reason for any inefficiency at ports, the statement said. If that was so, the burden of higher charges should be borne by those responsible, not by the whole of New Zealand. •

The statement said the union had offered to help shipowners to moke economies by doing over-all contract work for all types of cargo, but the offer had been rejected. The employers had said they would not be prepared to consider such a system for at least twoyears. "The executive committee makes a strong and energetic denial of the allegations against New Zealand port workers inferred in the statement by Mr D. A. Robertson, chairman of the Overseas Shipowners* Allotment Committee,” the statement began. It was evident from the three main reasons given for the increase in freight charges that the employers placed a high degree of blame for the increase on the additional cost of labour and the slower turn-round cf ships. The statement said that the men in Auckland, as at other ports, were working full hours, with no spelling or other restrictive practices. Compared with the previous practice of working an hour on and an hour off on full pay, that alone must show 100 per cent, greater economic efficiency. It was not true that the turn-round of ships was slower, said the statement. For the Waipawa, for example, which began loading on May 12, the saving in stevedoring costs was estimated at £2600, and in wharf dues and port fees about £4200. The Waipawa loaded about 10,400 tons of cargo, and was loaded in six days lass than it would have been loaded last year. The Rangitiki. which completed loading on Wednesday, was turned round in three fewer working days than when she was at Auckland in November, 1950. the statement added. No figures were yet available, but it was believed that the ship was carrying a record load.