Dispute ‘not relativity'

Press, 29 July 1980, Page 10

Dispute ‘not relativity'

PA Wellington The claim for an'extra deck officer on Cook Strait rail ferries is not a relativity issue, according to the officers’ union, the Merchant Service Guild. Railways and guild officials on Tuesday met a conciliator, Mr Bufton, to determine the deck officer manning needed. to cover adequately the safety and working requirements of the four ferries.

Both parties have agreed, to abide by Mr Bufton’s decision in the inquiry, which will continue for the next few days. The claim for a fourth deck officer comes after a protracted row between the guild and the Institute of Marine and Power Engineers which sought and early this year won parity with deck officers. After the inquiry into rail ferry pay rates and relativities resulted in engineers’ getting the same pay as deck officers, the guild claimed the

officers'had to work longer hours. The guild’s assistant secretary (Mr J. McLeod) said the claim for the extra officer was not a new one. “It is not a relativity dispute, the terms of reference/ show that,” he said. - . It had been raised well before the inquiry, and was not a reaction to the engineers’ gaining wage parity. The officers, who work

a four-days-on, eight-days-off roster were on standby for the whole 'four days when':not on watch, Mr McLeod said.

Coastal tankers and Tasmai roll-on vessels had four deck officers and for safety reasons the passen-ger-carrying ferries should have the same.

The institute has strongly objected ; to arbitration and said that an attempt was being made to circumvent its “just claims for parity.”