PILOTS TOLD TO STOP

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31238, 9 December 1966, Page 1

PILOTS TOLD TO STOP

Lyttelton Harbour Board pilots were yesterday directed by the New Zealand Merchant Service Guild to refuse to pilot all vessels from midnight.

Although the pilots would not comment, the secretary of the guild (Captain J. W. Dickinson) said by telephone from Wellington that the guild had directed the Lyttelton men to refuse all pilotage until the chairman of the Lyttelton Harbour Board (Mr L. G. Amos) had retracted remarks he made at a board meeting this week.

Captain Dickinson said that in view of the undertaking given in Conciliation Council at Wellington a fortnight ago that no further newspaper publicity would be given by the Harbour Board on its pilots refusing to handle ships without tugs during the engineers’ strike, the chairman's remarks, as reported, were a breach of the agreement reached then. One day of the three-day

meeting was taken up with this matter. Captain Dickinson said. The chairman questions the ability of the pilots to do the job, whereas it was originally referred to by the employers as an industrial matter. The whole picture has now been distorted, Captain Dickinson concluded. In addition to four pilots, the tug master and mate, who are also guild members, are involved. The Lyttelton Harbourmaster (Captain A. R. Champion) said he had no comment to make. Vessels requiring pilots today are the phosphate carrier Varangfjell, which is expected to finish discharging, and the Hidaka Maru, which is expected to complete loading. There are no vessels expected which require pilots. Lyttelton Harbour Board marine engineers have been directed by the Marine Engineers’ Institute to refuse to man the tug unless a bona fide guild member is in command.