Dispute over before Mr Kirk intervened, say engineers

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33580, 8 July 1974, Page 1

Dispute over before Mr Kirk intervened, say engineers

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 7. The Prime Minister (Mr Kirk) was criticised today for becoming involved in the industrial dispute which delayed the Cook Strait ferries on Saturday.

Mr Kirk called a press conference on Saturday afternoon, which was televised, and threatened to take legislative action against the Institute of Marine and Power Engineers.

The secretary of the Wellington branch of the institute (Mr D. J. Munro) said today that it was quite legally’ and morally wrong for the Prime Minister to be involved.

“Mr Kirk had no right to lambaste us on television,’’ Mr Munro said. The dispute had been heard ;on Saturday morning by the ’Shipping Industry Tribunal, • which had ordered the engineers back to work, Mr Munro said: "We agreed, and went jback to sea.” j The institute will meet the i Railways Department to disjcuss the dispute tomorrow ; morning. • The Cook Strait ferries had not sailed since Thursday, because of a stoppage by I members of the Cooks and

Stewards’ Union and the; Seamen’s Union, who were protesting against the use of: injunctions against trade} unions. The seamen resumed’ work at 7 a.m. on Saturday. The engineers were not involved in this dispute. But under the terms of their industrial agreement they should have been recompensed for meals and accommodation, when, for reasons beyond their control, they had to live ashore. The Railways Department had agreed to pay meal money and taxi fares, but not the $9 accommodation

allowance, Mr Munro said. "We told the Railway, that if they didn’t agree, we would not sail on Saturday,” he said. A sitting of the Shipping Industry Tribunal was arranged, and the engineers were ordered back to sea. Mr Kirk said the Government had no power to deregister the engineers. But under the Industrial Relations Act the Cook Strait service was an essential one. Thought was being given to the provisions of the engineers’ agreement, and action might be taken against them by legislation, to apply from the time of the stoppage, Mr Kirk said. “■Bullying us” "The Prime Minister is just trying to bully us,” Mr Munro said. “He says nothing 'ike tlrs about the seamen or the cooks and stewards.” The ferries resumed their normal time-table on Saturday afternoon. All delayed passengers and cars were expected to be accommodated by tomorrow, the Railways public relations officer (Mr M. Burgess said tonight.

Other industrial disputes in 'Wellington have ended. Oil tanker drivers resumed petrol deliveries in Wellington at midnight on Friday, and have continued during l the week-end. in an effort to • service petrol-starved stations. Most petrol stations were dry by Friday night, and many had been out of petrol ! since Thursday. Large outlets, which tradiiditionally keep a limited ; amount of petrol back for ’emergencies and essential • services, had in many cases .used that up by the time the tankers arrived. Tanker drivers were the i first of the trade union moveiment in Wellington to stop • work in protest against I injunctions and as a result petrol was the hardest hit 'product during the five-day protest. The rest of the Wellington Drivers’ Union stopped from midnight on Thursday to midnight on Friday—coincidiing with a stoppage by Wellington Trades Council affili!ates. I Transport, hotels, factories, 'the waterfront, and retail outlets all felt the effects of Friday’s stoppage.