EXPENSIVE DELAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24716, 19 September 1941, Page 6

EXPENSIVE DELAY

A WATERFONT DISPUTE ABSENCE OF CARGO HOOKS (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. 18. A gang of waterside workers working on (lie motor vessel Holmglen at Lyttelton stopped work for two hours yesterday because it was alleged that four members of the gang were not supplied with cargo hooks. It was stated this morning that the waterfront controller had transferred four waterside workers engaged as deck hands from the Holmglen to the Waipiata. The four men were replaced by four other men from the ranks of the unemployed. These men had no cargo nooks. The rest of the men in the gang refused to work, claiming that, as the four men did not possess hooks, it would fall on the others to do the major part of the heavy work involved in handling bales of wool. Work was stopped at 10 o'clock, and the gang was still idle at noon. By 1 o'clock the men had been supplied with hooks, and work was resumed. The waterside workers have to provide their own cargo hooks. On top of the hold-up, which was an expensive item to the ship, the company was compelled to pav, according to the agreement, an additional hour's wages to (he four men.