ARBITRATION IN TUG DISPUTE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31224, 23 November 1966, Page 1

ARBITRATION IN TUG DISPUTE

Engineers’ Institute Accepts Offer

The Institute of Marine and Power Engineers has accepted an offer by the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) to appoint an arbitrator to settle the tug and dredge engineers’ dispute, the Press Association reported.

The men, according to the institute secretary, Mr C. S. Harnett, could be back at work by the end of this week. The decision was taken yesterday during a three-hour “meeting by telephone” of the institute’s executive which has two members in Wellington and two in Auckland.

The executive says the arbitrator should have wider powers than just deciding the wage issue. It wants him to lay down a fixed procedure on negotiations for the future.

In a letter received by the institute on Monday, ( Mr Shand urged the engineers to return to work. The chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board and president of the Harbours’ Association, Mr R. C. F. Savory, described the appointment of an arbitrator as “the sensible thing to do.” “On behalf of our institute I will undertake to see that all members resume normal work without delay, subject to confirmation of the appointment of an independent arbitrator and the terms of reference,” Mr Harnett said in a letter to Mr Shand. Mr Harnett said the 8 per cent offer by the Harbour Board’s Association was not enough.

When the present wage conditions took effect 15 years ago the engineers were on the flat-rate agreements. People such as fitters got above the engineers’ flat rate. Now, with percentage increases, the gap between engineers and fitters was Is lOd an hour. To make up the difference increases between 12 J per cent and 18J per cent were needed, Mr Harnett said.

Because of unfavourable weather at Lyttelton, two overseas vessels scheduled to leave last evening will now sail early this morning. A strong southerly wind, gusting to 25 knots, was blowing. The Lyttelton Harbourmaster (Captain A. R. Champion) who has been piloting vessels in and out of the port without a tug since last Wednesday, said that he would take the Crusader out at 6 a.m. today and the Porthos at 7 a.m., and later in the morning the Piako. Later today the Dutch vessel Tjitarum is expected to complete loading and sail. No large vessels requiring pilotage are due today but up to 12 such vessels are due between tomorrow and next Sunday.

Early yesterday morning, Captain L. W. Davies, a Lyttelton Harbour Board pilot, brought the Karamu into a berth from the anchorage, because the master of the vessel did not have a pilotage exemption for the port and the operation did not require

a tug. Under normal conditions a vessel of this class would rarely require a tug. Tanker Diverted Captain Champion said last evening that the only tanker he knew to have been diverted from Lyttelton was the Forest Hill. He said he would not normally bring in deep-laden vessels such as tankers without a tug, but he had informed the oil companies that he would allow them a dispensation to replenish their stocks where urgently needed by bringing in tankers to a maximum draught of 29ft 6in. Yesterday one of the striking engineers checked the boilers of the tug Lyttelton from 8.30 to 10 a.m. Since Monday steam has been kept up on the tug for fire-fighting purposes and the 12 engineers involved in the dispute have drawn up a roster so that the task can be shared. The port was busy again yesterday, although rain interrupted cargo work during the morning.