Companies hit by container ban

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32568, 30 March 1971, Page 2

Companies hit by container ban

(New Zealand Preet Association) WELLINGTON, March 29. The finances of some freight-forwarding companies were being drastically affected by the five-week-old container dispute, Mr R. H. Pettigrew, spokesman for the consolidators, said today.

This was made clear to the Government today when representatives of the container consolidators had an hour-long meeting with the Minister of Labour (Mr Marshall).

Mr Pettigre.;, managing director of Allied Freightways, said after the meeting that his people were getting very concerned about the delay in settling the dispute. ‘lt is getting near the end of the fifth week,” he said. “Some of the companies are suffering more than others, and we have intimated to the Government that some companies are being drastically affected.”

A solution to the dispute was clearly the Government’s responsibility, Mr Pettigrew said. “It is not just a case of employer and employee sitting across the table negotiating and not being able to agree.” Consolidators’ hands were tied because it was the Government which agreed to a change of rules to allow watersiders to pack contain-

ers off the wharf area. Mr Marshall announced last week that an inquiry would be set up to investigate the dispute, and that membersh p and terms of reference would be discussed with the parties involved. But, said Mr Pettigrew, this was not discussed with his party today. Asked the purpose of today’s meeting, Mr Pettigrew said Mr Marshall had invited them to discuss any progress that might have

been made since last week’s meeting with the watersiders. "He indicated to us that the watersiders were referring the dispute to the Federation of Labour, which will meet tomorrow,” Mr Pettigrew said. Mr Pettigrew said that the consolidators would accept any findings from the inquiry, even if they were favourable to the watersiders. Mr Marshall told reporters after the meeting that the question of staff would not be raised with the parties until the watersiders’ ban was lifted. He said he had called the meeting to give a general report on the situation. Told that Mr Pettigrew had stated that a number of forwarding companies were being drastically affected by the dispute, Mr Marshall said he was well aware of the seriousness of the problem.

’ But he repeated that no progress in setting up the committee could be made until . the ban was lifted. The Prime Minister (Sir Keith Holyoake) told reporters this afternoon that the lifting of any ban on work was a pre-condition to any inquiry being held into a dispute. A Sydney message today said that many New Zea-

landers are stranded in Australia without luggage because of the ban. Personal luggage and goods consigned for container shipment nave not been handled at Wellington during the dispute. Firms dealing in both i primary and secondary pro- - duce have been unable to get '■ container freight from Wellington to Sydney. “Their ■ only recourse is to arrange 1 shipment through another New Zealand port or have their freight brought on con--1 ventional ship transport,” a spokesman for a shipping 1 company said today. "Of ‘ course, this could mean an : extra few weeks on top of 1 it all. There is a mounting 1 backlog of consignment J orders at other New Zea- ' land ports.”