SHIPPING DISPUTE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17948, 28 November 1932, Page 9

SHIPPING DISPUTE

TIEOA’S LOADING DELAYED MANNING THE FOREHOLD Trouble developed on the Gisborne waterfront again to-day, when the Waterside Workers’ Union withdrew its members from the forehold of tlie coastal steamer Tiroa. The Tiroa was loading sleepers for shipment to Auckland, and two gangs, one for each hold, were engaged this morning for this work. The gangs comprised four in each hold and four men on the wharf loading into each hold. After work had been commenced, the union made a request that the forchold gang should be increased from four to six, with a corresponding increase in the number of men on the wharf working from the railway trucks. After some discussion', the. Gisborne Lightering and Stevedoring Company, Limited, which owns the Tiroa, agreed to make a concession in the case of the forehold, which is larger than tho afterhold; but would not agree to increasing the number of men on the trucks. When tlie question became acute, tlie company suggested that the matter should be referred to the local disputes committee under tlie appropriate clause in the new waterside workers’ agreement, recently arrived at. This suggestion was not acceptable to the union, and the muon workers engaged to work the foreholcl and the trucks serving it were withdrawn. The company made the point that the new agreement for waterside operations binds both parties to continue working, to the conclusion of a job, if necessary, while disputes are being dealt with by tlie local disputes committee.' The object of this clause is to obviate delays in handling the work on the waterside, such as that which occurs in the case of the Tiroa. Men engaged for the alterhold and He trucks there continued to work after the withdrawal of the. foreholcl gang, but it was anticipated that the vessel would be delayed in Gisborne overnight. The number of men to comprise gangs is subject to a clause in the new agreement, the. owners of the Tiroa pointed out to-day, and the union had every right to make its representations on the subject. On the other hand, the interruption of work is against the spirit ot the agreement recently adopted by Inc Wellington conference.