COSTLY WET DAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23817, 19 November 1940, Page 6

COSTLY WET DAY

NO WORK ON WHARVES LARGE SUM PAID IN WAGES LOSS TO SHIPPING COMPANIES The heavy rain in Auckland on Sunday was a serious matter for shipping companies, as they had to pay well over £ISOO in wages, although no cargo work was done on the wharves. The 500 waterside workers who had been engaged, however, went home late in the afternoon each about £3 richer. The men are required to be told at the last call for labour at 10 o'clock on Saturday morning if they are to work on Sunday. When the men arrived to commence on Sunday morning it was raining too heavily to open the hatches. Rain continued throughout the day, and the workers were dismissed at about four o'clock in the afternoon. Sunday rates of pay for waterside workers are almost two and a-half times the ordinary rates, and amount to 7s an hour, plus 5 per cent for a minimum of eight hours. This does not include any additional payment for special cargoes. In addition, the shipping companies have to pay tally and shed clerks, and Customs officials also are engaged. Work was to have been done on oversea vessels. About 200 waterside workers were engaged for the largest ship and 130 for others, one of which was discharging sugar at Chelsea. Although operations frequently are interrupted by rain showers, it seldom happens that there is a complete stoppage for the day. Work was resumed yesterday.