COOKS AND STEWARDS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21363, 17 June 1931, Page 6

COOKS AND STEWARDS

EXTENSION OF TROUBLE COASTAL SERVICES THREATENED INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED BY UNION (Per United Press Association.l AUCKLAND, June 16. Twenty vessels are likely to be rendered idle in Auckland through the refusal of the cooks and stewards on New Zealand articles to accept the 10 per cent, reduction in wages. The trouble experienced with the Tofua and the Waimca developed extensively today, and it is possible that every coastal vessel at Auckland and Onehunga will be involved in the dispute. Representatives both of the shipping companies and of the men decline to comment on the situation on the ground that the dispute is being bandied in Wellington. The trouble at Auckland originated with the cooks and stewards of the Tofua and the Waimea. In order that the Tofua s departure for Suva should not be delayed an adjustment was made, but the Waimea’s trip to the east coast was cancelled, Similar action has been taken with the Kaimanawa and the Kiwitea, the crews of which will be paid off to-morrow. , The Niagara sailed this evening for Sydney, her crew being on Australian articles. The Marama sailed later for Wellington, and the question of reduced wages will not arise until the vessel reaches that port. : All the local coastal vessels carrying cooks and stewards are involved in the trouble. The men have refused the reduced wages, but the owners have not yet settled their line of action.

MAKURA DELAYED A SERIOUS SITUATION ATTITUDE OF SEAMEN AWAITED. | (Peb United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, June 16. The Makura, which was due to sail for San Francisco at 3 p.m. to-day, has been held up through the cooks and stewards refusing to accept engagement at wages reduced by 10 per cent. Her departure been postponed until noon to-morrow. All the cooks and stewards engaged under New Zealand articles have received 24 hours’ notice of a wage reduction. It i B understood that many of the cooks and stewards on the Makura were prepared to sign on, but they obeyed the union’s orders not to do so. If the cooks and stewards adhere to their decision it ! is possible that the seamen will refuse to' take the ships to aea with “ free J labour. The question will then arise whether this will he a breach of the seamen’s agreement, which does not expire till July, 1932.

The inter-island ferry steamers departed this evening on time, no move having been made by the members of the crew. No further attempt has been made to man either the Waimarino or the Katoa. The Opihi will go alongside the Waimarine to-morrow to tranship the latter’s cargo for southern ports.

, There are no other developments on the waterfront.

POSITION AT LYTTELTON NO IMMEDIATE DEVELOPMENTS. (Special to Daily Times.) , CHRISTCHURCH, June 16. It was fully expected to-day that the trouble with the cooks and stewards would extend to the coastal ships in port at Lyttelton and that possibly the members o£ the Merchant Service Guild and the Marine Engineers’ Institute would be involved. It was the intention of at least one large shipping company to Have the following clause inserted in the articles of each ship in port:—“ All overtime and other additional payments provided by current New Zealand awards or agreements relating to all ratings (other than members of the New Zealand Seamen's Union) shall be subject to a deduction of 10 per cent, as and from June 16, 1931, and this alteration has this day been consented to by the officers (deck and engine room) and the stewards and cooks.” For some reason, possibly because of the appeal of the Cooks and Stewards’ Union now pending, the employers did not proceed with the notice.

GALE HELD UP AT TIMARU (Peb United Press Association.) TIMARU, June 16. The coastal vessel Gale, which arrived at Timaru on Sunday with a cargo of coal and which was to have sailed this evening, has been held up on account of the cook and steward refusing to sign on under the new agreement involving a 10 per cent. cut. When the new agreement was presented the men concerned refused to: sign, acting under instructions from their organisation.

POSITION IN DUNEDIN NO SIGN OF DISSENSION. Inquiries made yesterday show that work is proceeding without any interruption on the Dunedin and Port Chalmers waterfronts. An official stated that everything was normal, and that there was no sign of any movement being made as a protest against the reduction in wages. Very few ships have visited the port of late, and the men who depend on the waterfront for a living are said to be only too eager to accept all the work that is offering. There have so far been no developments among the cooks and stewards on the lines of the trouble which has occurred in the north.