CARGO HANDLING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24721, 25 September 1941, Page 6

CARGO HANDLING

INCREASE IN COSTS SLOWER WORKING RATE INDICTMENT OF SYSTEM (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 24. The report of a special committee presented to a meeting of thyfellmglon Harbour Board to-mgbf Jfcowed (hat from 1935 to 1940 the- colt of handling English and foreign cargo increased annually till there was a difference of Is lid per ton. Of this wages represented lid. , The report stated that ships working gear and wharf facilities had been improved in that period so that an explanation of the rise must be sougm elsewhere. The evidence showed that the rate of discharge fell from loi tons per hpur during the period under review to T2J tons, which must partly be the explanation. In the nine months of the 1941 financial year, the report added, the cost had further advanced till in June it was nearly 3s 6id, or almost double the 1935 cost. It wa§ admitted that during this period exceptional tiens had existed such as congestion m the sheds, shift work and bonus payments.

Marked Decrease In Speed In spite of the heavy increase in costs, the report stated, the rate of discharge continued to fall .till at the end of June it was just under 12£ tons an hour. During this a period further wage rises accounted for 4d a ton. The wages of the permanent staff had advanced by 28 per cent, since 1935, and the rate of discharging British and foreign ships by 16 per cent., or from 2s 2d an hour to a little over 3s 5d an hour, including bonus payments averaging sad an hour. . J . It could be quite reasonably expected. the report continued, that the steady increases in the rates of pay would be accompanied by some compensatory return in the way of faster work. It was clear, however, from the discharging results that in the past seven years there had been a marked falling off in the speed of handling inward cargo. The necessary work in overtime hours was performed at a slower rate compared with ordinary time, and therefore the increased quantity of cargo now discharged in overtime hours reduced the average rate of cargo handled.

Causes of Higher Wages An investigation of the factual evidence and submissions contained in the statement of the chief executive officer rppeared to establish that the causes contributing to the ’increased costs of handling cargo were: 1. Increases in the rates of pay. including the special rates for Saturday morning.

2. Bonus payments to casual wharf labourers. ‘ 7 ■ .

3. An increase in the minimum payments for the engagement of'casual wharf labourers.

4. The slower rate of handling cargo. 5. The change in the class of cargo received from overseas.

6. The congestion of cargo in wharf sheds. - ■ '

The board adopted the report,