Adequate Meal Needed by Watersiders

Grey River Argus, 15 March 1949, Page 5

Adequate Meal Needed by Watersiders

AUCKLAND, March 14. Seeking a “substantial” meal, 32 waterside workers were brought by a special launch from Chelsea to Auckland last evening. The men, who were required to work overtime in the Union Steam Ship Company’s collier Karepo, informed the company that the meal cooked for them on board the ship was inadequate. A similar complaint was made at Portland a week ago, when Whangarei watersiders refused overtime on the same company’s collier Kaimiro because they were not provided with a three-course hot dinner. The secretary of the Auckland Waterside Workers’ Union, Mr R. Jones, said that. when, men worked overtime on a sugar ship at Chelsea a proper meal was provided for them by a caterer. With only a collier at the wharf, they were given a one-course meal prepared by the cook on the ship. The men needed a substantial meal and he had instructed them to come to the city for it. After investigating the complaint, the shipping company decided to hire a special launch to convey the men to the city at 5 p.m. and to return them to Chelsea after they had finished their meal.