Ship dispute talks

Press, 24 March 1977, Page 1

Ship dispute talks

PA Wellington The Cabinet transport committee met yesterday to discuss the industrial dispute which has prevented the inter-island vessel Coastal Ranger from sailing for six days. The Shipping Corporation vessel has been tied up in Wellington since last Thursday.

The vessel’s officers and engineers have refused to sail in protest about their pay relativity with seamen which, they say, has been lost because of the large amount of overtime available to the seamen.

The Cabinet committee, chaired by the Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan) met departmental officials in an attempt to gain an understanding of the dispute.

Mr McLachlan met Shipping Corporation executives later, and it is believed that he told them the Government believed the dispute was still one between the corporation and some of its employees. The corporation’s general manager (Mr C. H. Speight) said last evening that the meeting was held to advise the Government on the present state of the dispute. The Government was not considering intervention.

"The corporation runs the vessel and it has the responsibility of sorting out the problems and keeping the vessel running. That is what we are attempting to do by holding discussions with all

parties,” Mr Speight said. Negotiations were continuing, but last evening a solution had not been found.

There was no apparent build-up of cargo pressure because the Coastal Ranger was laid up, Mr Speight said. The corporation was constantly in touch with users of the service to keep them informed about the situation.

Mr Speight said that although the vessel had sailed full on its southward journeys, it had been only a quarter full when sailing north from the South Island.

The Coastal Ranger was in a lay-out berth in Wellington last evening, which meant that it was not ready to sail.