AUCKLAND WATERSIDERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 April 1943, Page 2

AUCKLAND WATERSIDERS

WORK STOPPED DURING RAIN

AUCKLAND, April 2. Union waterside workers engaged under agreement with the American Transport Service to work ships without cessation, wet or fine, were dismissed to-day after sheltering during rain. They started work at 8 a.m. on general cargo, and sheltered at 9.30. The night shift which reported at 11 p.m. on Thursday had worked through the night. The direction of men to work freezer cargo in the rain on Thursday was in conflict with the agreement, said Mr H. Barnes, president of the union. The American authorities dismissed all the men. on the ship loading frozen cargo because they would not work in the rain, said Mr Barnes, who claimed that the men engaged on general cargo were then dismissed without an attempt being made to negotiate or arbitrate as the agreement provided. In the case of men dismissed this morning Mr Barnes said that the Americans had been notified that the men. would work through, but would take shelter if heavy downpours came on and would immediately resume work once the rain lightened. The men took temporary shelter, ho said, and were summarily discharged. The agreement which states that the men wilt work American ships, wet or flue, without cessation, except in case of freezer cargo, unless otherwise authorised by agreement with the United States foremen and union delegates, came into dispute at 2.30 on Thursday morning, when men working the general cargo and the men asked to work the freezer cargo stopped work because of rain and were dismissed. Workers expected to start at 8 o’clock on Thursday morning refused because of the rain, and the work was carried on by the United States marines and other labour.

SYDNEY, STRIKE

SYDNEY, April 2

Servicemen continue to handle cargo at Sydney wharves. It is estimated that each gang of servicemen bandied on average, thirty-five tons of cargo an hour compared with about fifteen tons handled by wharf labourers since the war began. A circular issued by the waterfront section of the Communist Party urges abandoning of the strike declaring: “This is a sorry mess into which these phoney strike leaders have led us. This strike ties up ships and troops, and thus aids the Fascist enemy. It is a catastrophic strike.”