Little effect from Melbourne wharf dispute

Press, 13 February 1982, Page 12

Little effect from Melbourne wharf dispute

Christchurch did not feel too many effects from the recent industrial* dispute on the wharves at Melbourne.

Worst affected by the dispute, which is now over, was surface mail posted in New Zealand for Australia in late November and early December. The mail was consigned in containers, and the buildup of these in Melbourne has caused processing problems for the Australian Post Office.

By the time the dispute was resolved, more than 100 containers of mail . from other countries were in Melbourne for processing. Australian postal authorities hope to have the backlog cleared this week. Most of the New Zealand mail was for Australian states, and would have been posted after the published closing date for Christmas delivery in Australia. As far as is known, surface mail posted before the closing

date was delivered on time. A small amount of the delayed consignment was destined for India and Pakistan. Some bags contained mail which originated from Apia and Nukualofa, for delivery in Australia. The magazine distributors, Gordon and Gotch (N.Z.), Ltd, reported some loss in continuity of magazines from Melbourne during the dispute, but things are now back to normal.

“We get a wide range of magazines from-all over the world so the dispute did not really have a terrific impact. We don't have many magazines from Melbourne, a lot come from Sydney,” said the firm’s Christchurch magazine manager, Mr A. Goomes. A spokesman for G.U.S. Wholesalers, Ltd, said that dried fruit was about the only product his firm got from' Melbourne. G.U.S. always carried reasonable stocks, so the dispute had made no difference.