CLEARING THE KAIWARRA

Evening Star, Issue 22272, 25 February 1936, Page 12

CLEARING THE KAIWARRA

DISPUTE SETTLED [Per United Press Association.] CHRISTCHURCH. February 25. The dispute about work on the Union Company’s steamer Kaiwarra was settled at a conference to-day. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.

[On Saturday the 35 casual workers employed in cleaning the hull of the vessel, which is in dock at Lyttelton, declined to start work unless their wages were increased from 2s to 2s 6d an hour for ordinary time, the men giving as their reason the awkward nature of the work underneath the vessel. During the morning the demand was considered by the Local Disputes Committee, which decided that the men should be paid the increased rate. The men then asked that they should be paid from 8 a.m. instead of 9.30 a.m., the time at which the decision pf the committee was made known. This was refused, and the-men declined to start. On Monday morning the men were again offered work at the increased wage, but they refused to accept the work unless they were paid for four hours for Saturday. This demand was refused, and later the Union Steam Ship Company’s permanent men were put to work at cleaning and painting the vessel. This action was evidently resented by the seamen and firemen engaged on the Kaiwarra, for. they stopped work (says the ‘Press’) and declined to resume until the permanent men were taken off. The men, however, were kept on.]