WHEAT DUST DISPUTE

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31678, 14 May 1968, Page 18

WHEAT DUST DISPUTE

Work In Ship Delayed

No work was done aboard the Northern Steam Ship Company’s motor vessel Maunganui at the new bulk wheat silo yesterday morning because of a dispute over the trimming of the vessel's cargo by the seven watersiders en gaged for the work. The Maunganui, which had been bound from Mount Maunganui to Timaru to load bulk wheat, was diverted to Lyttel ton on Sunday because of en gine trouble. Because repairs were expected to take two days the company decided to load wheat at the Lyttelton silo for Auckland. The company’s Maranui, which was due at Lyttelton to load at the silo for Mount Maunganui on Thursday, has been diverted to Timaru.

After a meeting of the Port Conciliation Committee yesterday work began at 1 p.m. The Maunganui is expected to sail today with about 1000 tons of wheat The Maunganui, the first vessel to load bulk wheat from the Lyttelton silo, was also involved in a dispute over working conditions and bonus payments at her initial bulk loading in March. Yesterday’s dispute was over dust which watersiders doing trimming considered to be a health hazard. The master. Captain B. Dobbs, said that goggles and masks were available for those who wanted to use them. Before the Maunganui sailed he expected her to be trimmed, as one had been on previous occasions at Lyttelton and other ports he said.