Seamen Refuse Extra Sailing For Maori

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31836, 14 November 1968, Page 1

Seamen Refuse Extra Sailing For Maori

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, November 13. The inter-island steamer Maori was delayed in its scheduled sailing from Wellington to Lyttelton this morning when members of the Seamen’s Union refused to take the ship to sea.

The refusal is linked with seamen’s claims for a new pensions scheme. Reports today indicated that the Maori’s failure to sail today would be followed by other similar refusals —probably in the coastal oil tankers —which the union considers should be all-New Zealand manned.

The refusal to sail was presumably because of the attempt by the company to make up the Monday sailing lost by the national 24-hour Seamen’s Union stoppage on Monday, said a company spokesman.

The company had reshuffled the sailings to make today’s early departure from Wellington an extra daylight sailing. At stop-work meetings held in five ports on Monday during the 24-hour stoppage, the union executive was empowered to take any action it thought fit to promote union claims lodged in mid-Septem-

ber for a new non-contributive pensions scheme. After Monday’s national hold-up the Shipowners’ Federation said employers were appalled at the union’s hasty unconstitutional direct action on the claims. The matter had been discussed for some four or five years, but the claims lodged in September were the first plans put forward by the union.

They were at present in the hands of a professional actuary for consideration and report for possible joint shipowners’ action on receipt of the report. Union’s Regret The Seamen’s Union regretted any inconvenience to the travelling public, said a state-

ment issued this afternoon by the union. “This situation of industrial unrest would not have arisen if the Shipowners’ Federation and the Union Steam Ship Company had shown our members a less cavalier attitude to the basic principles of a modern pension and welfare scheme,” the statement said. “The company, through the Lyttelton manager, was told at 9 p.m. yesterday of today’s non-sailing of the Maori,” said the statement. The information was given to the company by the ship delegates. Heavy Schedule The statement said the Wahine disaster necessitated a very heavy schedule on the Maori’s crew. Many of the Maori’s crew worked 18 hours and more for the company and the convenience of the travelling public. “To meet this emergency they have given good service and borne this without complaint. “The favourable reaction from the general public on Monday’s protest stoppage throughout New Zealand indicated to us their sympathetic appreciation of our concern

for old seamen pensioners and indeed old pensioners everywhere,” the statement said. “If tragedy and death at sea in recent years is the price of the best pensioner welfare scheme from shipowners then our members say we have bought it fair.” Some of the 450 passengers booked to leave Lyttelton aboard the Maori for Wellington last evening had made alternative arrangements according to a Union Steam Ship Company, Ltd spokesman yesterday. There were 48 passenger vehicles also booked for the same trip, he said. Because of the loss of one round trip, this evening’s north-bound trip to Wellington was expected to be heavily booked, he said.