Railway Wharf Labour Under New Control

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 18

Railway Wharf Labour Under New Control

A change in the control of railway waterside labour at Lyttelton was announced yesterday by the New Zealand Port Employers’ Association. As a result the 213 men at present employed by the Railways Department will be employed by the shipping companies, and the charges for shipside handling will probably rise. The announcement says that as from January 4, the Railways Department will relinquish its control of the waterside labour concerned in the loading and unloading of railway truck cargo at Lyttelton. Shipowners or their agents will undertake the work and employ and supervise the labour involved. “As a further result the shippers and consignees, will receive debit notes covering the cost of this work from the shipowners or their agents instead of from, as heretofore, the New Zealand Railways Department which will accordingly reduce its composite railage rate. “A new company, New Zealand Stevedoring and Wharfingering Company, Ltd., has been formed and will undertake the wharfingering work on behalf of certain overseas lines whereas other shipping interests will undertake the work themselves.”

The district traffic manager of the Railways Department (Mr M. R. Leineweber) said that Greymouth, Westport, Timaru and Oamaru would be similarly affected on January 1. For many years these four ports as well as Lyttelton and Port Chalmers had been known as “railway ports.” Mr Leineweber said watersiders working on ships in these ports had been paid by shipping companies through the commission, while those engaged on the wharfs had been paid by the Railways Departipent through the commission.

“We have considered that this aspect of our operation has really ceased to be a railway function,” he said. His department’s decision had been greatly influenced by the increased use of motor

transport to and from the wharves.

The railways had established handling charges of 5s a ton to offset the cost of the labour. This had been inadequate to meet the costs and from the change-over dates these would be forgone. The chairman of the local branch of the New Zealand Port Employers’ Association (Mr C. J. Ward) said last night it was inevitable that the shipside handling charges of 5s a ton would increase. He said he felt the association could make no further comment on the change-over at this stage.