Four Ships Held Up— Crews Want Percolators

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29778, 22 March 1962, Page 14

Four Ships Held Up— Crews Want Percolators

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 21. Four Union Steam Ship Company freighters are held up in Auckland because new coflfee percolators have not been installed in the messrooms. The dispute is understod to be costing the company £4OO a day for each of the ships involved.

The ships which crews have refused to take to sea are the Karamu, Kowhai. Kaitawa and Karitane.

The Karamu and Kowhai were to have sailed on Tuesday night and the Kaitawa and Karitane this afternoon-

in refusing to sail, the crews have ignored the advice of the Seamen's Union. The men will hold a meeting at 830 a m. tomorrow to discuss their demands.

If the dispute is not settled, it seems likely that two other ships, the Konui and Komata. will become involved. The Komata will finish discharging tomorrow and the Konui will sail as soon as vacancies in the crew can be filled.

The Union Company and the Seamen's Union some time ago agreed that percolators would replace the present method of making coffee. Coffee percolators of onegallon capacity and of special voltage to suit ships were not procurable in New Zealand. and an import licence was not available.

An order was placed last December, but because special components hgd to be imported, delivery is only now being made, a few percolators at a time.

“Agreement was reached with the Seamen's Union that! ships going to Australia would have the percolators installed there.” a company spokesman said. “The crews of these ships have rejected their union’s advice and their captains'! orders to sail.” The spokesman said that at tomorrow morning's meeting, union officials will try to make the men understand that it is impossible for the company to comply with their demands.