increasing Cost Of Cargo Handling

Northern Advocate, 8 January 1947, Page 6

increasing Cost Of Cargo Handling

In a survey of work on Ihe waterfront, a South Island newspaper compares the cost of handling cargo during recent years. Quoting a coastal shipping company, which works its figures on the same basis as used in 1933 instead of by computation basis adopted by the Waterfront Control Commission since 194 U, It stated that the handling costs of n gang’s hourly output were:—

In 1923. when shipowners controlled their own labour, general cargo was handled at a rate of 15 to 1“ tons -in. hour, and coal was discharged at a rate of between 14 and 15 tons an hour. On the commission's own figures the discharge of coal bv baskets in 1941-42 was 11.37 tons: in" 1942-43. 11.16 tons:, and in 1943-44 11.7 tons. A comparison of rates of pay shows:

For work done on bundays, Anzac Day. Good Friday and Christmas Div the raie is 7 11 an hour.

1933 Cost a Ton Tons per Ci,ns, Hour 12.93 1937 4 11.25 1939 4 11.4 1940 4 9 10.0 1941 5 8 9.0 1942 .... 0 4 9.3 1913 . 8 7 9.2 1916 3 0?. 9.0

Ordinary time ... 1933 1937 2 8 1946 .1 -Si Overtime 3 3 4 - 5 t, ; Special overtime . 4 4 5 4 6 7 ' Saturday morning . — 3 4 5 o;