BLUFF MEAT LOADING

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30127, 10 May 1963, Page 14

BLUFF MEAT LOADING

Agreement On Work In Wet

(N.Z. Press Association) INVERCARGILL, ’ May 9. Agreement is understood to have been reached between shipowners and watersiders over opening up and preparing meat loaders in wet weather. A meeting between the two parties will be held this morning at which the agreement, accepted by watersiders at a stop-work meeting today, will be ratified.

It is expected that if hatches have to be changed today , in wet weather, watersiders will do the job under the new agreement. The two loaders working the Waiwera loaded 161.500 carcases on Wednesday and more than 10.000 today Gangs have been working according to the weather a* the time.

However, the mechan-ically-loaded total has done little to relieve congestion in the freezers of four Southland works. Freezers in all works are reported to b--jammed, and half-days are being worker by some works because of lack of freezer space.

This happened last season, and the Alliance Freezing Company, which suffers most, plans a new freezer.

Wet weather is the main reason for the overcrowding. for it keeps meat gangs from working the meat ships in Bluff. It is hoped a spell of fine weather will eventuate so that more lambs can be cleared and the embarrassment overcome. No blame can be laid on shipping companies. Southland freezing works officials are praising the companies for the special consideration given Southland in alloting meat ships. There are enough ships to clear the meat. It is a question of getting weather to load them.