“Unnecessary” Men Paid

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32164, 6 December 1969, Page 52

“Unnecessary” Men Paid

(NSt. Press Association} NEW PLYMOUTH, Dec. 5. Five waterside workers are being employed in the fully automatic loading of ironsand into the 12,194 - ton bulk carrier Oread at New Plymouth. The New Zealand representative of Marcona Developments, Ltd, of the United States (Mr R. A. Thomas) said today he had no doubt the waterside workers would have closed the port if his company bad not met their demands to employ the men. “Their help is not needed but either we employ them or

we don’t get our ironsand out of the port,” he said. Marcona Developments is investigating the possibility of exploiting the iron content of the sand. The trial shipment now being loaded will go to Japan for analysis. Mr Thomas said B. Bullock and Company, Ltd, of Wanganui, had contracted to load the sand but the New Plymouth Waterside Workers’ Union had demanded that its members be employed. COST $l5OO

After about a week of negotiations an agreement had been reached for five waterside workers to be employed on the loading in three shifts, 24 hours a day. It would cost Marcona about $l5OO to employ the waterside workers for the two days the loading was expected to take. This was in addition to the contract price, Mr Thomas said.

The president of the waterside workers’ union (Mr N. F. Quinlan) said no trouble had been associated with the loading. “We have five men working three shifts, but that is all there is to it.”

The branch manager of the Waterfront Industry Commission (Mr L. D. Howaa) said he could not comment as an agreement had been reached between the Port Employers’ Association and the union.

A spokesman said the employers’ association had been involved but he could not comment as the negotiations mainly involved Marcona and the union. LAST TIME

Mr Thomas said this was the first time he had heard of the happening. It would not occur again as this would be the last shipment of ironsand through the port. His company had recently completed investigations into erecting a platform off the Waverley coast, from which the ironsand carriers could load. “We are confident it can

be done but this will depend on whether the trial shipment proves successful.” The sea was deep enough for the huge carriers—some are as big as 50,000 tons—and rough seas could be counteracted with an anchoring system similar to that used on oil rigs. The disadvantages of shipping the sand through New Plymouth would make loading from there uneconomic. These were high cartage costs, lack of storage space and the unsuitability of the port for large carriers, Mr Thomas said. If the company decided to go ahead with full-scale production of the ironsand, it would probably ship about 1.5 m tons of sand a year, depending on demand. The Oread, which is the longest ship to visit the port of New Plymouth berthed yesterday afternoon after a fourday wait off port.