Maritime unions ready to unite

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34085, 24 February 1976, Page 2

Maritime unions ready to unite

A composite award covering all maritime unions may he ready for signing tomorrow after meetings throughout the country this week by members of the Seamen’s I nion to discuss the award. At Lyttelton yesterday 99 members of the Seamens Union, including the crews of the Hawea. Holmdale, and Coastal Trader, attended a stop-work meeting at which recommendations from the union’s negotiating committee were discussed. Further meetings will be held in Dunedin and Mount Maunganui today, and a statement from the union is expected tomorrow morning Five unions will be covered by the composite agreement —the Merchant Service Guild. The Cooks and Stewards' Union, the Marine and Power Engineers’ Union, the Wellington District Chief Stewards’ Union, and the Seamen’s Union. Under the agreement all five unions will be brought under a single all-embracing award and all wage negotiations will be done by a joint : negotiating committee. The idea was proposed two; years ago by the Merchant Service Guild to bring stability to the industry and to! bring New Zealand into line with similar developments in most other western maritime countries.

The new agreement has' been more than 18 months ini preparation but will go to’ the Industrial Commission with a gap which trade unions involved see little sign of being filled. Reluctance by the Government to bring in staff in the rail ferries, its research and other ships, is obviously! deeply disappointing to the' maritime organisations; involved in the negotiations. The Union Steam Ship! Company, the Shipping! Corporation, and container! .organisations have signed for; the employers. Only the Government. which controls a; large share of the New Zealand shipping service, has stood off. “We have worked overtime in our efforts to include the; railway ships in the agree-1 ment and it is extremely disappointing that this has not; been achieved.” the president! of the Seamen’s Union (Mr Dave Morgan) said today. Mr Morgan said that further; consultations would be held; with the department in an! endeavour to bring the sea-| men on the ferries under the cover of the new agreement. Most unions involved have expressed whole-hearted supsport for the scheme andi several have allowed existing; ; awards to lapse in anticipa-i tion of the composite award.! The Wellington District; Marine Chief Stewards’’ Union is at present not! covered by any award agree-; ment. The final go-ahead will!

depend on the Seamen's Union's decision tomorrow'.

Should the seamen agree, the agreement will be signed at a joint meeting later tomorrow under the chairmanship of Mr H. L. Brockett, a former Secretary of Labour.

The agreement will then have to be ratified by the Industrial Commission, which is scheduled to sit on the first three days of March.