Union ship to start afresh

Press, 4 September 1982, Page 1

Union ship to start afresh

The coastal container vessel Union Nelson is expected to begin a regular service to Lyttelton this week, free of the industrial troubles which dogged her first visit in April. Lyttelton Harbour Board employees and waterfront workers have agreed to allow the ship to be worked, regardless of what berth is used.

Members of the Lyttelton branch of the Harbour Board Employees’ Union met yesterday to consider proposals to work the ship. The proposals were formulated at a meeting chaired by the Federation of Labour on Wednesday, between the board union and the Waterfront Workers’ Union.

Yesterday’s stop-work meeting was addressed by the union's national secretary, Mr R. V. Gerdelan.

Several conditions had to be met before the ship could be worked at Lyttelton, said

the union s branch secretary, Mr P. K. Monk. The harbourmaster was to determine what berth the ship would use.

If the Union Nelson berthed at the Union Shipping Group’s roll-on roll-off terminal at Gladstone Pier, only the terminal's permanent staff were to load and unload it. If more watersiders were needed, it had to be moved to a conventional berth where Harbour Board employees could also be involved. If the terminal was already in use when the Union Nelson arrived at Lyttelton it had to berth at a conventional berth. The ship would not be allowed to wait until the terminal was available, said Mr Monk.

The secretary of the F.0.L., Mr K. G. Douglas, said yesterday that the waterfront workers had already given an undertaking to abide by the recommenda-

tions made at Wednesday's meeting.

The Union Steam Ship Company’s chief general manager, Mr David Jury, said yesterday that the ship would call at Lyttelton every two weeks.

Schedules were drawn up to include Lyttelton in the ship’s run after the meeting between the unions. Mr Jury said that he had been confidept an agreement would be reached by the time the Union Nelson left Nelson for Lyttelton.

The dispute in April centred on who should work the vessel. The company wanted her to be worked by watersiders using company equipment at its Gladstone Pier terminal.

The Harbour Board employees said that the Union Nelson was a container vessel and should be worked from a conventional berth.