Ferry master for talks

Press, 25 August 1980, Page 1

Ferry master for talks

i A master of the Cook 1 Strait rail ferry Aramoana I has reluctantly agreed to ' take part in a “round-table i discussion” this week | about his dismissal of a j seaman in the ferry. ' Captain A. D. R. Munro ! said from Wellington last I evening that he would j father, have- put the matter in the hands of the Ship; i ping .Industry Tribunal, ! but ; the’ Seamen’s Union ; had'refused this. I The discussion will be i attended by another mas- ; ter of the Aramoana, CapI tain K. M. Lingard, repre* ■ sentatives of the ship’s ■ owners, the Railways Dei partment, . and the SeaI men’s Union. ’ Captain Munro said he i had. dismissed the seaman : as -quartermaster after having been told by Captain Lingard that the man i had allegedly put the helm ; over the wrong .way five ; times during a daylight . crossing last Thursday. t - ' The seaman was. later ■ dismissed from the ship altogether, 'and Captain

Munro refused a request by the Seamen’s Union that he authorise payment of. the man’s air fare to his home at Tauranga. - “Under the composite agreement (an award worked out between shipowners and the union) I would have been acting illegally to pay the fare home of a man who had been dismissed under these circumstances,” said Captain Munro; ,? The sailing of the Aramoana from Wellington on Friday was delayed, as a result of the dispute. On Saturday, the president of the Seamen’s Union (Mr D. Morgan) said that the union had not objected to the quartermaster’s being stood down. In fact, it had offered to replace him.> • ■ The seaman who was dismissed has spent much of his working life at sea. He is a qualified able seaman who has passed his Steering Certificate and has been helmsman in several ships. .