Ferry Dispute

Press, Issue 32345, 10 July 1970, Page 11

Ferry Dispute

Sir, —The remarks made by Mr W. 1 Wood about union leaders needing re-education and that their thinking was “idiot logic” could well apply to some of his own organisation. Mr Wood would be one who thinks his outfit is always right, and that kind of thinking and acting causes most of the disputes today. A little tolerance by Mr Wood and his kind could prevent a lot of today’s industrial unrest.— Yours, etc., A. S. ROBERTS. July 8, 1970. Sir, —Your leading article: today is not stating the facts’ as they are. There is no question on the roster system, as! the officers have agreed to| accept this until the promised’ Shipping Industry Commis-i sion has met and given a de-! cision. The present dispute! is whether or not the master j must accept for re-engage- ; ment men he has just sacked; for breaches of discipline. To! the mind of any reasonable! person the master of a vessel; must have some sort of con-j trol over the crew, and if this sort of thing continues all! control is lost, and, with it,! all discipline.—Yours, etc., ; EX-SEAFARER. | July 9, 1970 Sir,— Although it is law that; every worker shall be (with particular exemption) a unionj member, there is no legal; compulsion on the workers! to attend, to educate themselves in, or comply with, the| full meaning of the act With-; in all the sections of the; I.C. and A. Act provision isi made to cover all human ele ments in worker-employer relationship, yet both deliberately infringe these laws every day for personal gain, ignorance, or arrogance; and against the union the workei is the greatest opponent by lack of attendance. Section 172 of the I.C. and A. Act. and other portions itemise the power of a court of conciliation, and this, under the terms of Shipping and Seamen Act, should have operated in the case of the Wainui, the conduct of which on all sides was utterly childish. Industrial harmony rests on mutual respect and understanding of the over-all needs of the country, not on a trial of strength between illegal mass on one side and legal mass on the other. This is anarchy.—Yours etc., LUCHNI. July 7, 1970.