Pickets halt loading of coal ship

Press, 23 September 1981, Page 3

Pickets halt loading of coal ship

About 35 members of the New Zealand Seamen’s Union, bearing placards and banners, assembled at the Cashin Quay No. 1 berth at Lyttelton before 6 a.m. yesterday, effectively stopping the planned loading of 40.000 tonnes of coal aboard the Liberian-registered vessel Hellespont Courage. The seamen are protesting against foreign ships carrying West Coast coal to Japan, asserting that they have a "traditional and historical right” to ' man the trade.

The union's South Island secretary,. Mr T. B. Stuart, said that the pickets would remain alongside the ship until the issue was settled. If no agreement between the union and the State Coal Department was reached by Friday, the seamen would hold another stop-work meeting to determine further action. Mr Stuart noted that New Zealand seamen had manned colliers working from the West Coast for years, and it was only proper that they be involved in the growing coal

trade to Japan. Talks between union officials and officials of the Ministry of Energy in Wellington on Monday were described by a spokesman as completely unproductive insofar as settling the dispute was concerned. Meanwhile, the huge stockpile of Stockton and other coal at Lyttelton continues to grow, more than 1100 tonnes arriving at the port each day by rail from the West Coast. The Hellespont Courage, owned by Nana Kru Navigation, Ltd. is manned mainly

by Korean seamen. “We are prepared to picket the ship 24 hours a day until the issue is setttied,” said Mr Stuart. .. The coal that was due to be shipped to Japan should remain in New Zealand for the use of New Zealanders, said a spokesman for the Campaign Against Foreign Control in New Zealand, Mr M. Horton, last .evening. The campaign “fully supported” the seamen’s picket, he said. The campaign had organised the first coal ship picket last year.