Lyttelton not badly affected

Press, 12 May 1984, Page 13

Lyttelton not badly affected

The Lyttelton Harbour Board’s terminal manager, Mr Bill Siddall, has said that the Australian go-slow campaign had not greatly affected the port. Cargo handling in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane waterfronts is expected to take at least a week to return to normal after the decision by the Waterside Workers’ Federation on Wednesday to end its 22-day-old go-slow, the Press Association reports. The federation agreed to lift the go-slow to enable the main issues in the dispute to go before the Arbitration Commission, while

minor matters were to be resolved by negotiation. The dispute between the federation and Stevedoring employers, which caused serious cargo-handling delays, involved new rostering arrangements and claims for a new retirement scheme. Cargo-handling times doubled at the three ports during the go-slow and the effect on importers and exporters was mounting disastrously. The delays caused protests from groups such as the Sydney and Melbourne Chambers of Commerce, and apple and pear growers. Both the federation and the Association of Employers of Waterfront Labour have refused to comment on the outcome of the dispute. Mr Siddall said that ships were much slower in coming but the go-slow had caused little problem other than upsetting Tasman shipping schedules. There had been no noticeable decrease in tonnage handled on the Tasman service. Mr Siddall said that most of the ships calling at the port came from Australia.