Ferry freight hacks up

Press, 25 February 1986, Page 3

Ferry freight hacks up

PA Wellington More than 1000 railway waggons are stranded at Picton and Wellington by the industrial argument that has stopped the ferry Arahura sailing since last week.

After four days of Cook Strait ferry cancellations, the Cooks and Stewards’ Union wil ask members for a strike mandate at a stop-work meeting today. Arahura sailings have been cancelled since Friday because the Railways Corporation cannot get enough cooks and stewards to crew the ship.

Available cooks and stewards have refused to sail short-handed. Usually crew shortfalls are made

up by crew rostered off offering to work callbacks.

The Railways Corporation has accused the union of using the manning issue as a smokescreen to justify disruption designed to advance award claims.

The cooks and stewards’ award negotiations have broken down. But the union’s national secretary, Mr Dave Graham, said the manning issue was not a sideshow to award talks.

It was madness to send a ship to sea short of four required people, he said. All booked passengers and cars were getting across Cook Strait but railways rolling stock was banking up.