Court declines authority

Press, 9 February 1983, Page 7

Court declines authority

PA Wellington A demarcation dispute between Lyttelton Harbour Board workers and watersid-. ers over the loading of a cable relay drum is likely to go before 'the Waterfront Industry Tribunal. The dispute, which threatens to increase substantially the cost of maintenance work on the Cook Strait cable, would be referred to a port conciliation committee, a spokesman for the Harbour Board employers has said. The dispute was likely then to go to the tribunal. The Harbour Board workers and watersiders disagree over which of them should load the drum on to the cable-laying ship Luminence.

The dispute was considered at an Arbitration Court hearing in Wellington yesterday, but the Court ruled that it could not consider an application from the Harbour Board Workers’ Union. No

dispute of rights, as defined by the Industrial Relations Act. existed between the Lyttelton Harbour Board and its employees, the Court held. The employers, and the watersiders’ spokesman, Mr Sam Jennings, argued that the dispute should be consid-

ered by the Waterfront Tribunal.

Mr Ralph Gerdalan. for the Harbour Board workers, asked that the court consider the dispute instead. Referring of the dispute to the tribunal could take up to a month: