Pilots Invited To Meet Board

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31239, 10 December 1966, Page 1

Pilots Invited To Meet Board

Lyttelton Harbour Board pilots who struck yesterday have been invited by the Lyttelton Harbour Board to meet the board at 930 a.m. on Monday

The pilots struck because of comments made by the chairman (Mr L. G. Amos) at the board’s meeting this week.

Mr Amos had told the board’s meeting that the board’s pilots were the only pilots in New Zealand who did not work during the tug engineers’ strike and that did not show any great loyalty. Yesterday Mr Amos said that neither he nor any other member of the board was aware of any agreement made during conciliation proceedings restricting publicity on the dispute. “The board is an elected body, and the public have the right to know the board’s reaction to the recent action of the pilots,” said Mr Amos. “The statement in the newspapers was factual and can only be construed as fair comment.

“However, the secretary of the New Zealand Merchant Service Guild (Captain J. W Dickinson) has been advised that the board would be prepared to have discussions with him and it has been suggested that any action by the pilots should be deferred till after those discussions had taken place. “Captain Dickinson has indicated that he would not be available to come to Christchurch till next Monday.”

Two overseas vessels were unable to sail from Lyttelton yesterday because of the strike. They are the Norwegian phosphate carrier Varangfjell, which completed discharging at 11 a.m., and the Japanese motor-vessel Hidaka Maru, which completed loading refrigerated cargo for Japan in mid-afternoon. A third vessel the Dutch-owned Wonogiri, which is discharging and loading, is due to sail today. The pilots have also been given the support of the Lyttelton Waterside Workers' Union. The secretary (Mr R. K. Fergus) said no member of the union would handle mooring lines inwards or outwards without Harbour Board pilots and boatmen performing their usual duties, except in emergencies. Boatmen who are board employees, have taken a similar stand.

5 p.m. he piloted the vessel to an inner harbour berth.

Yesterday afternoon the Harbourmaster (Captain A. R. Champion) moved the Wonogiri from Cashin Quay to the inner harbour with the use of the tug. Linesmen and boatmen were available for this operation. A strong easterly wind which developed yesterday, coupled with a heavy harbour swell, caused the Wonogiri to move considerably although not sufficiently to hamper cargo work. As a result. Captain Champion ordered the tug to stand by all the afternoon at the quay and soon after