Nelson wharf pay $6200 a year

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32797, 23 December 1971, Page 3

Nelson wharf pay $6200 a year

(New Zealand Press Association) NELSON, December 22. The average annual earnings of Nelson watersiders are $6200, compared with the national average of $5300, according to the Port Employers’ Association.

This includes bonus and overtime payments. ■The average Nelson watersider worked 26 hours a week, of which 20 were ordinary hours land six overtime. The statement added that I Nelson watersiders had one of. the best working records in New Zealand. In the last two years the ! income of watersiders ! throughout the country had increased 38.5 per cent. In the present dispute the watersiders were claiming a 19.36 per cent increase, the association said.

The employers have offered 2.2 per cent, saying that this, added to a 4.8 per cent cost of living order, will give a total of 7 per cent, the maximum allowable increase under the Stabilisation of Remuneration Act Nelson watersiders stayed home today under the twodav penalty imposed by the Nelson branch of the association last night after the stoppage by watersiders yesterdays. The chairman of the branch (Mr A. K. Gellatly) today said the tactics by the watersiders were obviously in accordance with a pre-determined national policy to Stop work without notice, to force the hands of the employers on the wage issue. It was considered that the Nelson watersiders. who were renowned for their good attitude to work, would not have taken the unofficial stoppage if pressure had not been brought to bear on them by their national federation, he said. Watersiders were already In an extremely favourable position in relation to the rest of the community, and a pav increase of more than 7 per cent this year was clearly unjustifiable. “FIRM STAND”

In an endeavour to bring some stability and sense back into the industry port employers must stand firm in their efforts to control the

disruptive actions on the waterfront, which could damage New Zealand’s reputation In supplying exports to vital overseas markets, he said. "Therefore 1 , the two-day penalty was imposed.” Mt Gellatly said.

While the port employers had deplored the irresponsible and disruptive action of the watersideis, some of them had at first not been in favour of imposing the twodav penalty. The penalty will end on Friday, and work is expected to resume on the wharves then.

The English cargo ship Tongariro, at present in port, will s’ufer the worst effect of the stoppage. She was due to have completed loading about Christmas Eve, but it will be New Year’s Eve before she sails for Wellington.

The Abel Tasman is expected to load and sail on Friday, and it is hoped to have some cargo out of the coaster Puriri on Friday morning. The Japanese log ship Tenkei Maru sailed late last night, largely unaffected by the stoppage, according to her agents, Seatrans Consoli-

dated (N.Z.) Ltd. Her departure has lef: a berth for the Japanese chip ships, the Hijiri and Nelson Maru, which are due at the end of the week.

Neither the president of the Nelson branch of the Waterside Workers’ Union (Mr K. C. Thomas) nor the secretary (Mr P. H. Belton) was available today to com-

ment on the employers’ statement. WHANGAREI WORK At Whangarei today, work was back to normal after members of the Whangarei Waterside Workers’ Union completed their 48-hour ban on non-union labour. Some 91 non-union men were taken on this morning.