AWATEA, MAUNGANUI DELAYED BY DISPUTE

Northern Advocate, 29 December 1937, Page 6

AWATEA, MAUNGANUI DELAYED BY DISPUTE

[Per Press Association. Copyright .] WELLINGTON, This Day.

A hold up arising out of a labour dispute which had little or nothing to do with the crew of either ship delayed the departure of the inter-colonial liners Awatea and Maunganui for a full hour last evening.

Both ships were timed to sail at 5 o’clock. The trouble arose out of a dispute between the Wellington Shipwright’s Union arid the Union Steam Ship‘Company regarding the rates of pay of the shore workers of the union and a carpenter carried in each of the delayed ships. The union had been asking for 2/9f an hour, plus travelling time. Since this matter had been reserved for the Arbitration Court, the demand was not conceded by the Union Company, and shipwrights working at the patent slips ceased work last week.

The Awatea and the Maunganui were then brought into the dispute by the union ordering a carpenter employed in each ship to give notice and come ashore. The men, who are members of the union, had to leave their ships today. It is understood that it was finally agreed between the company and representatives of the union that the question of wages should be reopened for argument before the Court of Arbitration. The Awatea departed at 5.55 p.m. and the Maunganui about 10 minutes later.