POSITION ON WAHINE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17661, 23 December 1920, Page 6

POSITION ON WAHINE.

NO NOTICES RECEIVED. SERVICE MAY CONTINUE. EIGHT-HOUR DAY QUESTION. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] "WELLINGTON. Wednesday. Tfc was persistently rumoured to-day that half-a-dozen of the stewards on the Wahine were giving notice, but a few minutes i before the vessel sailed from Wellington . to-night Mr. Kennedy, Wellington man- ( ager for the Union Company, went aboard and returned with the information that none of the notices had yet come to hand. ' The men -who were s.aid to be giving ' notice were Lyttelton men, and if they > gave notice after the vessel drew away i | from the wharf the requisite period of 24 ; I hours would expire before the ship be- ■ I gan its return trip. The majority of the Wahine's men, it is stated, belong to Wellington, and if they were leaving the vessel it would suit them best to give notice • tat Lyttelton in the morning. 1 The" statement has been made that in . addition to the bonus the men are asking for an eight hour day, but Mr. Kennedy said to-day that he knew of no demand, • except that made for the bonus. The Union Company is very hopeful of • carrying on the usual service, even if all the cooks and stewards on the Waihine . follow the lead given by their co-unionists on the Maori. " We are going to run the ships," stated Mr. T. W. Young (secretary of the Seamans' Union). He remarked that the > cooks and stewards were not affiliated with . ] the Transport. Workers' Federation, and s ! the Seamen's Union, which was affiliated, • j had no intention of involving the federa- , jition in an extraneous dispute. 1 PASSENGERS CARRY LUGGAGE. > i STEWARDS NOT VISIBLE. 3 [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] j CHBISTCHTJRCH. Wednesday. , An unusually large crowd gathered at . the Lyttelton wharf to-night to see the Maori off. Several of the stewards who i have left the Maori and who have homes in Wellington, bought tickets and went r north as passengers. Although it was i said there were 13 stewards still on the t steamer, none were visible about the > decks, and the passengers had to carry 3 their own luggage aboard. About 700 5 passengers embarked. i Mr. Aiken, general manager of the s Union Company, stated to-night that he 7 hoped it would be found possible to maini tain the ferry service during the holidays. Respecting the Press -Association telegram from Wellington to-day, setting out the demands of the stewards on the , Wahine, Mr." Aiken states that the demand for an eight-hour day came in the nature of a surprise. It was the first he had heard of it. At present, he says, the cooks and stewards are working under an award, which has a considerable period to run, and this provided for a 10-hour day. No application has been received by the Union Company for a reduction to eight hours.