FOUR SHIPS MAY BE IDLE

Press, Volume C, Issue 29702, 21 December 1961, Page 14

FOUR SHIPS MAY BE IDLE

Loading Of Export Meat The decision of the Canterbury Freezing Workers' Union not to load out meat for export from the nine freezing works from Nelson to Pareroa from tomorrow until January 2 inclusive could render idle four overseas refrigerated cargo ships for most of that period. A spokesman for the shipping agents said last evening that three ships at Lyttelton and one at Nelson, loading meat for the United Kingdom, United States, and Japan, could be affected. The ships are the Cumberland. Devon, and Amalric, scheduled to load refrigerated cargo at Lyttelton, and the Port Lyttelton, scheduled to load at Nelson. The ports of call, and times and schedules for the loading of lambs by all four ships had been fixed, said the spokesman. If the meeting between the union and freezing company representatives today did not lead to export loading-out at the works, some of the ships would be rendered idle, because they could not be diverted to other ports. Watersiders at Lyttelton will stop work at noon tomorrow and resume work on Wednesday. If the freezing workers affirm their, decision not to load out for export, or do any work at all, from tomorrow until January 3. the watersiders will have no lambs to load on to the three meat ships due to load at Lyttelton in that period.