Union deal with shipping line

Press, 29 November 1979, Page 6

Union deal with shipping line

> The Seamen’s Union has given the Jebsen Line 12 months grace in sailing its j ships to Korea and Japan ! I without being manned by [New Zealand crews. '; The “accommodation” granted . the line was announced bv the union’s president. (Mr J. D. Morgan) after, talks with the chairman of Ithe Norwegian shipping comIpany (Mr A. Jebsen). I Under the agreement, the , Jebsen Line will employ New Zealand seamen aboard one of its two ships — the Altis ■and the Athlon — engaged j in the New Zealand-Korea-j Japan non-conference trade .after a 12-mbnth period. The Altis, upon arriving at I Auckland from Lyttelton last j month, was picketed by i ; members of the union and ( prevented from leaving port ) for several days. I The Athlon, a sister ship ’ of the Altis in the Freedom ! Mark 2 class, is scheduled to

s arrive at Lyttelton on Decem- > jber 12. She will arrive from ' | Auckland, her first port of- • 5 j call on her maiden voyage 1 from her Japanese builders, z ! Both ships are on time ! charter. Jebsen’s told the ’ I union that it could not im- - : mediately take on New Zea- . j land crewmen without - breaking that contract. f| The union had taken - action, asserting that the Altis, and Jebsen’s, were en-. - gaging in cross-trading and, ■ therefore, subject to the em- > ployment of local seamen. :! Mr Jebsen said, after the [.-agreement had been announced: “The main message ■, I want to put across is that the liner service to Japan and • Korea is here to stay and we are here to serve people.” It is reported that Jebsen’s will evaluate the performance of the two ships in the [trade before deciding if they should be retained or if per--1 haps a different type of v 0«. 1 sei would be more suitable/' 5 ■■ — ■