CREWS OF TRAWLERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22963, 19 August 1936, Page 9

CREWS OF TRAWLERS

DISPUTE WITH EMPLOYERS 1931 WAGES SCALE DEMANDED (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, August 18. While the Lyttelton trawler crews employed by Messrs P. Feron and Son have refused duty pending a satisfactory settlement of a dispute which arose on Sunday one of the trawlers, the Phyllis, left Lyttelton at a late hour on Monday night with a “ scratch ” crew recruited from Christchurch and had not reported back at her base at midnight. Meanwhile the permanent members of the Phyllis’s crew are awaiting her return to reclaim their personal gear and belongings which they state were left on board the vessel on Sunday. The grounds of the dispute were requests made by the crews of the trawlers, Phyllis and Muriel, for the restoration of the 1931 waggs scale in conformity with the order recently enacted by Parliament. The manager of the employing company, Mr E. J. Newman, refused the request on the ground that no award existed in 1931 for the employees of trawling companies and the legislation therefore did not apply to the crews of the Phyllis and the Muriel. The men state that repeated endeavours were mad during the last six weeks to arrange a conference with Mr Newman, but no satisfaction was received until last Sunday when matters came to a head. Recently members of the two crews have become members of the Seamen’s Union, which has taken up their case.