Kanieri to build own second gold dredge

Press, 25 March 1981, Page 2

Kanieri to build own second gold dredge

Kanieri ' Gold Dredging, Ltd, will build its own second gold dredge, . employing up to 60 West Coast workers and about eight highly skilled Malaysian supervisory engine.rs, if work permits can be obtained for them.

The company’s dredging operations manager, Mr J. H. Talbot , has worked in Malaysia for 35 years and has been in contact with a West Malaysian company that has men skilled in building dredges used in the Malaysian tin extraction industry. Some members of the Engineers’ Union on the West Coast have expressed

concern that jobs might be given to Malaysians at their expense, but Mr Talbot said that, the Malaysians had specialised skills not readily available in New Zealand.

The last dredge built in New Zealand was Kanieri’s first dredge, in 1939. It is still working and the company employs about 60 staff to run and maintain it. About 35 more employees will be needed on the site for the construction of the second dredge and about 25 would be day workers and storemen associated with the work.

; The gold dredge workers are covered by the Westland Gold Dredge Employees’

Union and there is a separate award for the employees. The Engineers’ Union does not have award coverage. The secretary of -the Gold Dredge Employees’ Union, Mr Roy Beadle, said that a meeting was being arranged between his union, the company, and the Engineers’ Union to clarify the situation.

Mr Beadle said he thought it was “fairly understandable” for specialised supervisory staff to be brought in, but there was “no way” he was going to see New Zealanders who could do a job be replaced by overseas workers.