Seamen invited to talks

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33004, 25 August 1972, Page 2

Seamen invited to talks

(N.Z.P-A. Sta# Correspondent) SYDNEY, August 24. The president of the Seamen’s Union (Mr W. Martin) was today invited to meet Sir Peter Abeles, managing director of Tasman Union, to discuss extra shipping services by the Union Steam Ship Company.

Sir Peter Abeles issued the invitation when commenting on remarks made by Mr Martin that Sir Peter “should put the company’s money where its mouth was on the extension of new and promised services.” “In essence, I agree with everything Mr Martin has to say,” Sir Peter Abeles said. "I am prepared to take up his challenge, and to ask him to sit down with me, Government officials, and representatives of the producer boards to discuss new shipping services, in particular to South America.”

Sir Peter Abeles said he was particularly interested in an extension of Union Company services to South America, and he had, in fact, raised it at a meeting of the board only last week.

“Planning in shipping services unfortunately takes time, but I am prepared to take up the challenge.

“Mr Martin’s views and assistance will be much appreciated, and I will be in touch with him. We are prepared to give it a go, and I would like to join forces with Mr Martin to get it off the ground.”

Mr Martin said this week that Government bridging finance had been made available in large amounts to give various New Zealand enterprises a stake in a New Zea-land-owned shipping service. He said Sir Peter Abeles had promised an expansion and

diversification of services, but all that had been seen since was a continual contraction and whittling away of services, the selling of ships, and the loss of job opportunities for New Zealanders. Sir Peter Abeles said today he could see no conflict between the running of an efficient, profitable shipping line and the interests of the Seamen’s Union.

However, the first thing to be achieved was to get the line running profitably. “If you don’t do that, then there won’t be any jobs at all for the seamen.”

He said the company had always been prepared to meet the union to discuss matters if redundancies did occur.

On costs, he said that apart from one increase in Tasman freight rates soon after Tasman Union took over the Union Company on January 1, rates had been held.

“Since the rate increase, Tasman Union has absorbed increased costs of sl.2m on the New Zealand coastal and Tasman trade.

“We hope to be able to absorb even more, and while I can’t speak for the future, I am happy to say that none of these extra costs of sl.2m have so far had to be passed on to the shipper,” Sir Peter Abeles said.