CREW HOLD RANGATIRA

Grey River Argus, 2 March 1946, Page 4

CREW HOLD RANGATIRA

Ferry Leaves Late LATE PAYMENT ALLEGED P.A. WELLINGTON. March 'l. As a protest against alleged late payment of wages to-day, members of the crew of the inter-Island steamer express. Rangatira. refused to take the ship to sea at the scheduled sailing time from Wellington, 7.30 pirn., and the ship departed an hour late. The Wellington manager of the Union Steam Ship Co., Mr J. Neale, stated to-night that a representative of the men concerned had approached the master of the Rangatira at 6.30 p.m. and informed him that the ship would be held for an hour, as a protest

An official of the Seamen's Union appealed to the men to desist from their attitude, but his counsel was disregarded. Mr Neale said that the man were paid at mid-day and he pointed out that it. was a big job paying the crews of all the company's ships in port and it had just happened that on this occasion the Rangatira was one of the last to be dealt with. No previous trouble of this sort had been experienced.