UNIONS’ OBDURACY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26226, 9 August 1946, Page 5

UNIONS’ OBDURACY

NOMINATION OF CREW LINER’S DEPARTURE DELAYED SYDNEY, Aug. 8. The stand-over tactics by the Australian maritime unions had stopped the despatch of the former interstate liner Katoomba for Genoa, stated Mr J. C. R. Kent, representative of the Greek firm which recently purchased the vessel. He alleged that the Katoomba had been held up for nearly three weeks solely because the unions insisted on changing the crew. The Trades and Labour Council declared the ship “black” on July 16 because the owners had refused to accept the crew nominated by the unions under Australian conditions and rafes of pay. The owners had signed on their own crew under British articles and conditions. To meet the objections, the owners then offered to sign on the crew under Australian conditions, but the unions would not agree. Mr Kent argued that the union’s attitude was indefensible, because the ship was now under Panamanian registry. All but six of the 100 members of the crew were British subjects, anxious to return to England after war service in the navy and merchant marine. None had any wish to return to Australia, and the Australian Resident Minister in London had informed the Australian Government that repatriation of the crews was out of the question because of the shipping shortage.