TROUBLE AT PORT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17455, 5 February 1925, Page 8

TROUBLE AT PORT.

LOADING OF MEAT. DEMAND FOR EXTRA RATES. Trouble again occurred on the Lyttelton waterfront this morning as a result of which the Shaw, Savill and Albion Company's steamer Matatua has been hampered in her loading of. meat. The vessel arrived from Wellington at 9.30 a.m. to load wool and meat for London under the agency of I>algety and Co. A call was made for labour by the Shaw, Savill and Albion foreman, who is supervising the stevedoring work, but the call was responded to by wool workers only, the watersiders refusing to accept meal, loading unless paid 6d an hour extra over and above the special rate provided in the award. At - 10.30 the local Disputes Committee met and certain suggestions were put forward by the employers. The meeting adjourned at noon’till 1 p.m.. it being hoped that some satisfactory arrangement would be made in the lo a further call for labour at 11. to ».m. thety> was no response. The Matatua is a vessel of 6018 tons. ANOTHER CALL FOR LABOUR. Another call for labour was made from men engaged on the Port Melbourne who are accustomed to the work, but they refused to accept employment on transfer to the MataThe Local Disputes Committee reruined its sitting at 2 p.m.. but as apparently. a deadlock has arisen. no furthr action can be taken except to refer the matter to the National Disputes Committee at Wellington. Twenty meat vans are standing at Lyttelton waiting shipment. They con tain about 4000 carcases of lamb, of a total of 12.000 to be shipped. The Matatua will also load 8000 bales of wool in addition to butter. The watersiders have also refused to load the butter that has to be shipped in the freezing-chamber. Forty men were required for loading the meat and butter. The meat can stand in the vans only twenty-four hours, and may have to be returned to the meat works.