CARGO DISPUTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24733, 9 October 1941, Page 8

CARGO DISPUTE

WAHINE AND RANGATIRA RAILWAY WATERSIDE WORKERS' GRIEVANCE (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 8. A dispute between the railway waterside workers and the Railways Department regarding the working of the interisland steamers Wahine and Rangatira at night has resulted in the men refusing to work cargo, with the,' result that neither steamer can carry cargo pending a settlement of the trouble. Since the steamer ser-; vice was altered to daylight trips week the vessels have not carried cargo. A start was to have been made on Tuesday night with the working of cargo by watersiders employed from, 10.30 p.m. to 6.30 a.m. The waterside' workers engaged by the Union Companyi responded, but those called for on behalf of the Railways Department. 13 in number, declined to work. For the eight hours the men would have been paid £2 9s and also 2s for. meal money, with tea or coffee for the "smokeohs." One gang of ships' watersiders was employed for an hour in loading livestock and all were then sent home, although they had to be paid for a minimum of eight hours. ' -V-.V : « The grievance of the railway water-.-. side workers is that permanent railway hands were engaged oh the arrival of the Wahine in the discharge of mails and luggage. The watersiders claim that this work should be done by waterside workers, as is done when the vessels arrive in the mornings. The work takes about an hour to do j and the men would have to be paid , a minimum of three hours and 'a-hau. To-day, the men declined to accept engagement to work the Rangatira tonight. The matter is now in abeyance until the arrival later, in the week of the Waterfront Commission and representatives of the Railways Department from Wellington.