EASTER INTERRUPTION OF WORK ON WHARVES

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22916, 7 April 1949, Page 6

EASTER INTERRUPTION OF WORK ON WHARVES

(P.A.) AUCKLAND. April 5. The port of Auckland will probably be idle from Thursday of next week until the following Tuesday on account of the Easter holidays. An order from the Waterfront Industry Commission defining the holiday period is awaited. Both Good Friday and Easter Monday are statutory holidays and for each the watersiders receive £1 11s, the total for eight hours of ordinary time at 3s IOJd an hour. They are not paid for Saturday unless they work, which they did do last year. The monthly stop-work meeting of the union is scheduled for Thursday of next week and this means that work is not likely to begin until 1 p.m. on the last day before Easter. If the present schedules are maintained and mor£ ships not diverted or arrivals postponed as many as 14 overseas vessels may be in the stream or outside Rangitoto on April 19 when work resumes at the port.. The Auckland Harbour Board has surveyed anchorages for nine vessels in the stream, the most eastern being due south of North Head. Five overseas ships are due before April 14, including the Wanganella and Aorangi. Both require immediate berths to maintain their strict schedules. Eight more are due between April 14 and 19. The next listed departure is the food ship Australia Star which sails for London towards the end of the month.