Watersiders Walk Off Ship, Leaving Chilled Beef to Spoil

Northern Advocate, 26 January 1938, Page 8

Watersiders Walk Off Ship, Leaving Chilled Beef to Spoil

[Per Press Association. Copyright .l WELLINGTON. This Day. mHE LOADING OF ONE OF THE LARGEST SHIPMENTS OF CHILLED 1 BEEF TO HAVE BEEN HANDLED IN THE PORT OF WELLINGTON WAS INTERRUPTED WHEN THE WHARF LABOURERS WALKED OFF THE PORT LINE STEAMER PORT CAMPBELL AND LEFT THE BEST PARf OF 1000 QUARTERS TO SPOIL ON THE QUAY. The ship’s crew worked on into the night to save the valuable cargo. The Port Campbell arrived at Wellington on Monday evening, and berthed at the King’?. Wharf. She was to load about 4000 quarters of chilled beef, a large shipment, the usual being about 1000 quarters. Because of the rough weather on Monday the meal had to remain standing on trucks, and its loading yesterday became a matter of some urgency, because toclav is the waterside workers’ annual picnic holiday.

' One Gang Dismissed, There were still about 1000 quarters to load at tea-time yesterday, and gangs were ordered’to continue working through the tea-hour to get the last of the meat aboard before the holiday. The Port Campbell was scheduled to sail this morning for Napier, returning to Wellington next week to take on the rest of her cargo for London.

One of the gangs declined to work during the tea interval and was, in consequence, dismissed. Shipping company officials stated last night that it was within the scope of the award for men to be called upon to work in the tea hour in such circumstances.

A scratch gang consisting of members of the ship’s crew was called upon to carry on the loading of the particular hatch concerned. At this, the remainder of the watersiders left the Port Campbell and declined further service. Ship’s Crew r Gets To Work.

As it was certain that the remainder of the beef, neaxdy 1000 quarters, w r ould .spoil if left on the wharf, a single gang, comprising about 30 members of the ship’s crew, set to work on an allnight job of finishing the loading. By 10.30 p.m. there were still some 600 quarters on the wharf, and it was calculated that the task of loading would continued until daylight. The ship was then scheduled still to leave for Napier in the morning.

At a late hour last night the handful of workers were still toiling in yellow' lamplight, but there was a considerable quantity of beef still awaiting shipment.

Company officials expressed disgust that a valuable cargo of produce for export, should, because of a trivial dispute, be left to spoil, or deteriorate in quality because it had to be frozen.