WATERSIDE DISPUTE

Greymouth Evening Star, 9 March 1939, Page 5

WATERSIDE DISPUTE

NELSON APPLES DELAYED. [PEB PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, March 8. Throe thousand cases of apples which should have been shipped ioday! by- the liner Rangitiki for London, wore carried back to Nelson tonight by the Anchor Company’s Nelson ferry steamer, Arahura, because of a. dispute with waterside- workers on Tuesday' morning. One of th.y waterside workers engaged in unloading the same- company’s ship Matangi, was discharged, allegedly fur abusing the foreman, on which the remainder of the. waterside workers stopped work and the vessel was idle for the rest of the day.

The Matangi also had export apples. These had been discharged before trouble arose, but the remainder of the vessel’s cargo from Nelson was carried back to that port, and none of the Wellington cargo for Nelson was shipped.

This morning, when waterfront labour lor the day' was being engaged, no -waterside workers 'would accept work for the Arahura. which, in consequence, was idle all day. Included in her cargo were 8000 cases of export, apples for shipment lo London by the Rangitiki, which is to leave Wellington at 7 o’clock to-mor-row morning. As the fruit cannot be discharged at Wellington till Friday, it. will have to bo shipped by another overseas liner and arrive later on the London market.

At such short, notice, It was Impossible to fill the vacant, space in the Rangitiki. The later arrival in London will possibly mean a lower price for the fruit, causing loss to growers.

It was thought likely, to-night, that the 'waterside workers would accept engagement as usual for the Matangi to-morrow morning'.