Container dispute delays exports

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33384, 16 November 1973, Page 3

Container dispute delays exports

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, November 15. Two ships are delayed at the Wellington container terminal by an apparently informal watersiders’ go-slow.

The container ship ACT 1 was to have left yesterday, but if the present work pace continues it could be in Wellington another six days.

The Columbus Australia, which berthed this morning, is idle because only one container ship at a time can be handled at the terminal. Normal turn-round time for container ships in Wellington is two to three days. If the slow-down in the handling rate continues, British butchers might miss receiving some of the new season’s lamb for Christmas. LEVY SOON New Zealand exporters are also anxious to get the lamb to Britain before January 1, when a 3lc-per-lb levy will be imposed on lamb as part of trade terms. The ACT 1 is to take about 100 containers, or 900 tons of new season’s lamb. Negotiations between the container terminal operators and the Wellington Waterside Workers’ Union and the National Watersiders’ Federation are believed to have been unsuccessful today. Watersiders at the three container ports — Wellington, Dunedinj and Auckland — have already restricted the number of men allowed to man container terminals after a break-down in national negotiations for a new agreement. But shipping sources asert that the falling handling rate

lat Wellington is caused by an additional go-slow. The president of the Wellington Waterside Workers’ Union (Mr J. W. Milne) said earlier this week that the union had no go-slow policy, but today the union office declined to comment.

Under an agreement which expired last month, 93 water- • siders were allocated to the ’ Wellington container ter--1 minal. i During the term of the old , agreement, the union allowed s the work force to exceed 93, sometimes by as much as 60, ‘ according to one union source. Since a break-down in re-; negotiations, the union has i enforced the official limit. It is believed the employers ] offered to raise the perman- ( ent work force at the ter-1 [minal by 15, but watersiders, [ faced with redundancies as a | i result of containers, rejected I I the offer.