Fewer Watersiders At Lyttelton

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31775, 4 September 1968, Page 16

Fewer Watersiders At Lyttelton

The waterfront labour force at Lyttelton has dropped in the last 12 months, according to the Lyttelton manager of the Waterfront Industry Commission (Mr J. A. Docherty), who said yesterday that this time last year the figure was 769 but yesterday it was 703.

Some retirements and other causes of reduction had to be taken into account, but a

number of watersiders had transferred to Timaru, Napier and Mount Maunganui. Mr Doherty said. Waterfront work had been scarce and hundreds of men had gone home jobless each week, although they received their normal attendance pay Waterside workers at Mount Maunganui earned an average $99.97 a week in the first six months of the year, compared with $77.24 in the same period last year, according to the Press Association This figure is listed in statistical information prepared by the Waterfront Industry Commission for the Transport Commission hearing in Wellington.

Napier watersiders earned the second highest weekly wage this year—sB3.6B, compared with $65.22 in 1967. Third was Nelson, $79 04 ($68.62), then Timaru with i $72.50, an increase of $9.47. j Auckland workers earned| $68.96. and Wellington, $58.52.1

Both these figures represent rises of about $3 a week for the first six months of 1968

Port Chalmers watersiders wages fell from $53.14 last vear to 541.16 and Lyttelton from $64 36 to $58.47.