Watersiders Waive Ban For Marama

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32164, 6 December 1969, Page 1

Watersiders Waive Ban For Marama

Lyttelton watersiders have informed the Union Steam Ship Company that they will not handle con* tainers in the inter*island steamer Maori unless the containers are packed or unpacked within waterfront limits by watersiders. But the watersiders have also offered to delay the application of their container ban to the Tasman ship Marama, which is due at Lyttelton this morning after having been delayed in the Wainui dispute.

The secretary of the Lyttelton Waterside Workers’ Union (Mr M. E. Foster) said that the ban applied only to containers, and that the men would still handle trade cars, passengers’ cars, passengers’ luggage and perishables.

On Thursday evening the watersiders refused to load 26 Seafreighter containers in the Maori, and these remained at Lyttelton when the ship sailed for Wellington.

When asked what would be the position about the other roll-on vessels Marama, Maheno, Seaway Princess and Hawea, Mr Foster said that with the exception of the Marama on this voyage, the union would make its decisions when the ships arrived. The Marama is due at Lyttelton from Wellington this morning with 91 containers

loaded in Auckland and 200 trade cars loaded at Wellington.

Mr Foster said that because the Marama had been delayed by an industrial dispute, watersiders would discharge all her cargo, including the containers. He said he realised that shortages to the public would be caused by the dispute, and as a result the Marama would be treated as a preference ship tins time. Mr Foster also said that several containers now at Lyttelton which had been filled by watersiders would be loaded on any roll-on vessel.

The attempt by the Storemen and Packers’ Union to negotiate a new award in defiance of the Federation of

Labour had brought the matter of containers to a head, Mr Foster said. “We do not want anyone rise’s jobs,” Mr Foster said. “We do, however, want to keep these matters within the framework of the Federation of Labour.” The Christchurch manager of the Union Steam Ship Company (Mr G. R. Cole) said that the Maori had left more than 100 containers at Lyttelton this week. In that time she had made three round trips. By today she would have made four round trips.

The next roll-on ship due at Lyttelton is the Seaway Princess, which is expected from Auckland with a container cargo on Monday. The Maheno is due on Tuesday. The Seaway Princess, owned by the Northern Steam Ship Company, has not been affected by the Wainui dispute and has been working throughout it On Monday, however, she is expected to come within the watersiders* ban and may not be discharged.