Dispute in union affects 10 ships

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32450, 10 November 1970, Page 20

Dispute in union affects 10 ships

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, November 9. Ten ships at Auckland are faced with being locked in port because 45 members of the Cooks and Stewards’ Union are at loggerheads with their national executive.

The men have refused to sail until an extra steward is hired on the coastal tanker Eme.

They decided on the direct action at a meeting today because they say the union leadership has done nothing about the dispute over the steward for the Eme. A spokesman for the group said that direct negotiations would be sought with the shipowners, Shell Oil (New Zealand), Ltd and BP (New Zealand), Ltd, over the Eme dispute. All the ships involved are New Zealand registered and are at Auckland or Onehunga wharves. Long discontent The latest conflict is seen as another eruption of longstanding discontent between dissidents and the national executive, including the national secretary (Mr J. Herlihy) and the Auckland secretary (Mr C. Delaney). The spokesman for the Auckland membership said

the coaster Awanui had not sailed, at 4 p.m. today as scheduled. The Eme had been meant to sail today and had been delayed till tomorrow. “But she will not sail, nor will the Guardian Carrier which is meant to sail early on Wednesday morning,” he said. The chairman of the Auckland committee of the union (Mr H. T. Parnell) questioned on board the Eme, where he works, said there were three stewards on the ship and the men wanted a fourth. Mr Parnell said the men were dissatisfied with the way the union had handled the claim for another steward. They had not been kept informed of any progress and the dispute was more than three months old. He said that he and an Auckland member of the national executive, Mr R. Scullion, had not been informed of national meetings. The dispute over the extra steward was behind the stoppage but the fact that -the union would not back the men had caused them to take the action. “Will send men” But from Wellington tonight Mr Herlihy said: “The Auckland group now has no powers. They have been rescinded under the rules and if necessary we will send men from Wellington to man the Eme.” ■ Mr Herlihy said a special meeting had been called this morning by other members of the union to discuss the position in Auckland The ships which are believed to be affected by the stoppage are the Eme, Waikare, Katea, Kowhai, Marama, Kaituna, Guardian Car-rier,-Awanui, Pukeko, Patiki and the Mamakau.

R.S.A. Membership.—An increase of 427 in the membership of the Christchurch Returned Services’ Association was reported to the executive last evening. At the end of October the roll was 7269. Seventeen new members were enrolled last evening, and 22 deaths were reported.