DISPUTE SETTLED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26199, 9 July 1946, Page 6

DISPUTE SETTLED

COASTAL SHIPS SAIL PROCESSION DOWN HARBOUR (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 8. The shipping dispute over the lighting and heating of the crew’s accommodation on coastal ships which commenced in Wellington last Wednesday, was settled this afternoon. Though confined originally to four ships, the trouble spread to 26. 1 A meeting of 500 members of the Seamen’s Union was addressed by the president, Mr F. P. Walsh, this morning and it was afterwards agreed to take the ships to sea subject to the question of improving the heating and fighting of the ships in port being placed before a special tribunal. . A statement was made by the Minister of Labour and Marine, Mr J. O’Brien, that a tribunal is being set up under the Strikes and Lock-outs Emergency -Regulations. Unusual activity on the harbour marked the end of the dispute, and between 3.30 p.m. andv 5 p.m., there was a long line of coastal vessels stretching down the harbour. The first vessel to move, the Wainui, left for Oamaru at 3.40 p.m., and at 7.45 p.m. 'the Wahine left for Lyttelton. Between these times 20 ships vacated their berths. Of the four ships around which the dispute first centred, only the Kaitoa was still in port to-night as the result of two members of the crew being absent. , , The five-days’ hold-up in Wellington is expected by the shipping companies to have an effect on the delivery of coastal cargo for about a month to six weeks. The handling of the ships had been slowed down prior to the dispute by wet weather, particularly at Lyttelton.