HIGH SALVAGE PAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22241, 29 January 1947, Page 6

HIGH SALVAGE PAY

STRANDED LINER TUG CREWS’ DEMAND STATE OF DEADLOCK (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Jan. 28. It is reported that the crews of the three tugs, Toia. Kahanui and Terawhiti are demanding 17/6 an hour since the commencement of the salvage work in connection with the stranded liner Wanganella, and a deadlock has been reached.

All three tugs have returned from the Wanganella. The Toia is carrying out various harbour duties and the Kahanui and Terawhiti are lying at Queens Wharf, partly loaded with salvage_ materials, but. a large quantity remains on the wharf.

It is understood that representatives of the men have given an assurance that, if life is imperilled or an extreme crisis develops with the Wanganella, they will be prepared to take the tugs out, but otherwise there is for the moment a complete stoppage. There is blue sky to-day with a fresh northerly breeze blowing offshore, but a change to moderate southerly winds is forecast for the afternoon or early evening.

An industrial committee is reported to have been hurriedly constituted to consider the demands of the tug crews and meanwhile the tugs have no.t been engaged for transhipping the necessary equipment and supplies to the Wanganella This interruption to urgent work required in the emergency represents the most serious happening during the salvage operations and is understood to have aroused concern in Government circles.

Ownership of Tugs

The Huddart Parker Company is not involved as the owners o£ the liner, the Terawhiti being owned by the Union Steam Ship Company, while the Wellington Harbour Board and the Wanganui Harbour Board are the respective owners of the Toia and Kahanui. The Huddart Parker Company was described to-day as being in the position of a “helpless onlooker and possibly the victim of the dispute.”

It was reported to-day that the Prime Minister, Mr. P. Fraser_. visited Queen’s Wharf last night after the tugs hacj tied up, but no confirmation of .this is available so far.

Yesterday’s development came as a sensation. "The men just refused point blank to start alter 5 p.m.” stated an official. "Nothing would shift them.” Among officials connected with the salvage operations there was this morning an air of gravity, contrasting sharply with the optimism which was apparent yesterday as a result of the progress made. The salvage preparations aboard the Wanganella have not yet been held up because of the loss of the tugs’ service, but it is stated the operations are bound to be delayed within the space of a few hours unless the trouble is ended.

Queslibn of Tribunal

The Department of Labour says it has not set up a tribunal to hear the case of the tug crews though in shipping circles there was a definite impression that a tribunal connected with the Labour Department was to sit urgently to-day to consider the demands made on behalf of the men and that union representatives, as well as representatives of the employers, were to attend.

This impression was evidently held by the men themselves for two of them who were at Queen's Wharf said they were waiting for the outcome of the deliberations. However, there seemed to be a general mystification regarding the nature and powers of the tribunal, or committee, and there is a similar lack of information as to where it was sitting and who comprised it. The Labour Department, with which a harbour official was known to be trying to get in contact by -telephone at noon was approached for information.

An officer of the department said there was no tribunal hearing the dispute and he declined to discuss the subject.

Attitude of Crews

There are reports that the crews of the tugs feel that their work in connection with the Wanganella justifies the payment of rates comparable with those said to be received by other workers engaged on the salvage operations. The watersiders are said to have received 17/6 an hour and there are reports that about 17s an hour is being paid to welders and boilermakers, and 15s to firemen.

The Toia and Kahanui are affected by the New Zealand harbour boards’ employees’ award, but the Terawhiti rs privately operated. It was stated to-day that the disturbance to work on the Wanganella is particularly regrettable and that it is clearly in the national interest to preserve the liner by all possible means with the object of restoring the vital shipping link with Australia. Not the least of the difficulties besetting those aboard is that the liner was reported to be running short of fresh water to-day. It was reported, however, that some supplies of water would be taken by the pilot launch Arahina this afternoon. *