‘Girlfriends on Tasman taxis’

Press, 12 January 1981, Page 4

‘Girlfriends on Tasman taxis’

Auckland ■ 1 Assertions that seamen! were usipg cargo ships as; “Tasman taxis,” , to give i their girlfriends free trips i have been denied- by both the 'Union Steamship Com-, pany and the Seamen s ■ Union. , , In a letter to an Auckland ■newspaper, a seaman s wife i asserted that girlfriends I were often hidden in cabins I for a free trip, or presented, as wives who were entitled. to the privilege of a trip i once or twice a year. . • Mr D. Jury, the Chief i General Manager of thej Union Company, which runs ■ the Union Rotorua. the] Union Rotoiti, the Union ■ Hobart, and the Union Lyt-j telton. between New Zealand? and Australia, said there J was always the possiblity of i stowawavs.. However, for the number ■ of trips the ships made, (there were relatively few istowawav cases, said Mr Jury. '

i The company did not, '% ;this enlightened society” ivestigate whether the iwomen presented as sea. I men’s wives were actually 'married to them.! f I ••But -.we would take (strong action if we found lout that the system was being abused.”, He said the company would not take .action if a woman was found to be the ide facto wife of a seaman. I The secretary of the Seai men’s Union, Mr D. Clarke ! dismissed the woman’s asisertions. saying the penalties (for abusing the system yvera itoo strong. y. I “The blokes would', not ; risk losing their livelihood,” ■he said. . ./ ; The crews had been able !to take their wives on:’the 'occasional trip, under a-iys-:tem introduced threeyyeirj ago- ' ’’ “They fought hard for the right to take them,” saitf-Mr C 1 a rke. ■