Shipwrights relax their stand

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32522, 4 February 1971, Page 12

Shipwrights relax their stand

Members of the New Zealand Shipwrights’ Union at Lyttelton who stopped work on Monday morning over a wage dispute are still witholding their labour, but yesterday they made an exception when they allowed four shipwrights to work aboard the motor vessel Squall. The secretary of the union (Mr P. O’Brien) said the Holm Shipping Company, Ltd, owner of the Squall, asked him on Tuesday if he would permit shipwrights to top up and secure portable tanks aboard the Squall. The tanks will be loaded with much neede dfuel oil for the Chathams. The Squall is due to sail tomorrow. But to all intents and pur-

i poses, apart from this case, the shipwrights are still out. Shipwrights play a major ( part in cargo work aboard I ships, particularly in the {loading of vessels, but until now only one ship, the Port | Adelaide, has been affected. ! The Port Adelaide is loadI ing for Great Britain at I Cashin Quay and was idle for a while on Monday afternoon. She resumed work on Tuesday with reduced labour. Yesterday, however, she was fully manned again and, although there were no shipwrights aboard her, managed to keep loading. Shipwrights held another meeting at Lyttelton yesterday morning, their third since the stoppage. After the meeting, Mr O’Brien said that he had no comment to make other than that discussions were continuing on a national basis in Wellington between the national secretary of the Shipwrights’ Union and the management of the Port Employers’ Association.