SERIOUS POSITION

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 December 1946, Page 6

SERIOUS POSITION

LOSS OF LOADING TIME ON WATERFRONT V EFFECT AT GREYMOUTH The shipping companies and the public will not be the only losers . < as a resuit of the .decision'of the local Waterside Workers’ Union to observe the national union’s instructions not to work overtime or on week-ends as from Wednesday of this week. The waterside workers themselves will be considerably out of pocket because of the measure they have supported. During the past few years, the pay envelopes of waterside workers have been fattened as much by overtime payments as by pay for ordinary day shifts. Under the new system ah that will be lost. A good deal of night work was previously carried out on the Greymouth wharf and for working between 6 and 10 p.m., the workers received time and a half rates. After 10 o’clock they received double time. It was common previously to load ships on Saturday mornings and this work was-carried out for half as much payment again as compared with ordinary day work. For the last six weeks a meal allowance was paid on Saturdays and the men working on Saturday after 1 p.m. were paid at double rates. Valuable Time Loss.

Already the ships working at Greymouth have lost valuable hours, while days will be lost during the week-end when three ships will be idle. The Karu, which arrived on Wednesday night, was the first to be affected at Greymouth by the new order. She berthed in the late afternoon, but lay idle until yesterday morning when tHe waterside workers commenced loading at 8 o’clock. She sailed on the evening tide, but had work' been commenced immediately (the coal was then available), it is considered that the ship could have sailed on yesterday morning’s tide. This would have enable the vessel, to arrive in Wellington with its cargo of coal in time to commence discharging this afternoon, but the 12 hour delay means that the coal- will have to remain aboard until Monday. Wasted Days. The Gabriella and Holmlea, two ships in port at present, are both facing the prospect of a wasted two days this week-end, and it will be well into next week before either will be ready for sea. The Poolta due early to-morrow morning, in the normal course of events, would be loaded and ready for sea on Saturday night or at the latest on Sunday morning, but in the prevailing circumstances will have to wait until Monday before labour will be forthcoming. There is a strong possibility of a labour shortage occurring on Monday, however, as three ships will require gangs of men.

Railways and Coal. With a good supply of wagons available at present, the Railway Department so far has not been affected by the change in hours, but it was indicated by an officer of the department this morning that repercussions would only be a matter of time. The common belief seems to be that the action by the Greymouth waterside workers is not a step that is wholly agreeable to them, but has been taken more to back up the demands of the major port workers than to force added concessions locally. The guaranteed wage which has precipitated the protests from the main ports will give the local waterfront workers something they have not had before, and something that will be welcome in view of the frequent hold-ups brought about by bar, river, and sea conditions. A shipping company official, commenting this morning, may have been correct when he suggested that had a secret ballot been taken the Greymouth waterside workers would have rejected by a large majority the national union’s proposal.