NO SETTLEMENT REACHED

Southland Times, Issue 23375, 6 December 1937, Page 6

NO SETTLEMENT REACHED

Waterfront Dispute

At Auckland

CALL FOR LABOUR NOT ANSWERED

POSITION MAY BECOME MORE SERIOUS

(United Press Association)

AUCKLAND, December 5.

No settlement has yet been reached in the labour dispute which developed on the Auckland waterfront on Thursday, and after a call for fresh labour for the Union Company’s motor-ship Waiana had not been answered, nine ships were idle on Saturday. Employers are now waiting to discover what the men’s attitude will be when the 10 o’clock call for labour is made tomorrow. If no labour is forthcoming, the position will become rapidly more serious because seven more ships either came into port today or are due in the morning. The total tonnage of shipping involved if no work is done on these ships will be over 56,000, and, in addition, there are two other vessels which have been working but need extra labour.

The ships at present involved by the dispute are the Union Company’s motor-ship Waiana, the New Zealand Shipping Company’s liner Rotorua, the Westport Coal Company’s steamer Canopus, the Hamburg-Amerika Line’s steamer Gera and the Northern Company’s Pono Tuhoe, Claymore, Clansman, and the Paroto. Those ships which arrived today or are due tomorrow and which if they are not worked will bring the total of idle vessels to 16, are the New Zealand Shipping Company’s Rangitata, the Richardson motor-ship Pukeko, the motor-ship Margaret W., the Union Company’s Kaimiro, the Nobel Explosives auxiliary ketch Miro, the Port Line’s Port Hunter, and the motor-ship Matua. The Port Line motor-ship Port Hobart, and the Shaw, Savill motorship Waipawa need more gangs for tomorrow’s operations. A certain amount of work has to be done on the Canopus by Auckland Harbour Board crane operators discharging a cargo of coal with grabs, but waterside labour is needed to complete the vessel’s discharge. The Northern Company s vessels Motu and Kawau were worked on Saturday by members of the company’s permanent staff. The Port Chalmers and Port Whangarei had engaged sufficient labour before the dispute arose and the working of these ships is proceeding normally. Probably labour for ships other than the Waiana would be available if a call were made, but under the rules of bureau this may not be done until the Waiana is manned by men other than those who refused to work the vessel on Thursday night. The wen originally engaged for the Waiana who had refused employment on Thursday night, again put in an appearance on Saturday morning and remained at the ship’s side until noon, . when work would normally have finished for the day During the morning, the men held meetings, but no statement was issued.