SEAMEN’S STOPPAGE Mr Scott Offers To Drop Clause

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32011, 11 June 1969, Page 1

SEAMEN’S STOPPAGE Mr Scott Offers To Drop Clause

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON; June 10.

The Minister of Marine (Mr Scott) tonight offered to remove one of the controversial clauses in the Shipping and Seamen’s Amendment Bill which provoked today’s 24-hour stoppage by New Zealand seamen.

The stoppage prevented both the interisland and Cook Strait ferries from sailing, stranding hundreds of passengers and causing a backlog of freight. Other ships manned by New Zealand crews were delayed, and waterside workers refused to cross picket lines to work them. Mr Scott offered to remove a clause which allows port committees to receive what the union claims is hearsay evidence that would not be admitted in a court of law. Commenting on the offer

tonight, Mr L. Barber, the Seamen’s Union secretary, said that it was a start to the removal of all the obnoxious clauses that would take away the union’s right to discipline its own members. “We don’t want to see any clauses that allow maritime councils to be set up with disciplinary powers,” Mr Barber said. Mr Barber said that the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) told a seamen’s deputation today that the Labour Party would oppose the bill in its present stage, and, when it -became the Government, would repeal the clauses immediately.

> The union's president, Mr ,W. Martin, today accused > “British overseas shipping - monopolies” of being partly I responsible for controversial t clauses in the bill. . Mr Martin said that the Government had been coerced by r the monopolies into drafting > the clauses into the legis.la- [ tion so that the union would r be forced to diversify its efforts to get a State-owned , national shipping line. 1 “We claim the right to . discipline our own members,” . Mr Martin said. “And we do ! discipline them. We fine them, [ suspend them, or expel them. Since 1961 we have expelled I more than 350 members for being irresponsible. “We believe that this legislation is aimed at disciplining unions rather than the odd drunk seaman.”