OPIHI DELAYED.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19528, 10 July 1925, Page 6

OPIHI DELAYED.

WATERSIDE'WORKERS’ TACTICS. WORKING IN BILGES. EXTRA PAY “WANTED, The annoying practice known as pin-prick-ing, which has been so frequently adopted by waterside workers at various New Zealand ports from time to tune, has teen in evidence on the Druiedin waterfront anting the past few days. From what can be gathered, it is apparent that .the or a section of them, are not satisfied with the existing award, and they grasp any favourable opportunity to raise, a dispute when the question of “dirt” money is involved., Several times this - week the local Disputes Committee has teen called together to try and arrive at a satisfactory settlement of some point raised bv the men. The steamer Opihi, engaged m tho trade between Dunedin, New Plymouth, and the West Coast, under the house-flag of the Union Steam Ship Company, is now- involved in a dispute which has resulted m the vessel being delayed at Dunedin. On her trip to this port last week, from Westport fee Opihi encountered very heavy weather in Cook Strait, and as a result or the seas, which came on board, a quantity of her coal cargo was washed into the bilges. The pumps became choked, and fee Opihi was compelled to put into Timaru last Friday morning for slight repairs before completing her voyage. Between 15 and 20 men were engaged in clearing the coal from the ship’s bilges on Monday and Tuesday. The men came from Port Chalmers, where they are aften engaged in such work. At noon on Wednesday fee men ceased work, demanding an extra rate before they would resume. The employers informed them feat, they were prepared to give an extra rate, the same as paid on previous occasions when similar work was carried oat at Port Chalmers, but not the amount demanded. As tho employers were anxious to settle the dispute in order not to delay the ship they then offered the men more than they had been previously paid for such work at Port Chalmers. This offer was not accepted, and as no settlement was reached at another meeting of the Disputes’ Committee yesterday afternoon, the Opihi is delayed in port in consequence. Whenever a dispute of this natenre has arisen at Port Chalmers it has always been amicably settled. This is the first time that waterside workers have been called upon to clear a ship’s bilges of coal at Dunedin, and it is assumed that the objection, was raised because fee Port, Chalmers men were working under fee jurisdiction of the Dunedin LTnion.

There also appears to be some dissatisfaction in connection with the discharging of Newcastle pool from the LTnion Company's collier Kawatiri. Tho vessel arrived yesterday morning from Newcastle via Bluff. There was certainly a shortage of labour, as over half a dozen large vessels are in port, but it is stated the men available intimated that they wanted something more than the award rate before commencing operations. However, no call was made for labour, and the Kawatiri remained idle throughout the day. There is a big shortage of waterside labour at Port Chalmers. The agents for the Shaw, Savill, and Albion liner lonic, which is discharging Homo ( cargo and loading dominion products at Port Chalmers, succeeded in engaging only about 20 men,' whereas fully 70 men wore required. Tbe work is being carried on with tne assistance of members of the lonic’s crew.