CL switches Rotterdam
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multi-million pound container ship on planned by Overseas Containers rid Associated Container Transport start from the Port of London on I has been switched to Rotterdam. decision was taken last week by Sir v Crichton, chairman of Overseas ners, after London dockers refused to it ban on terminal berth agreements .st week).
the switch may only be temporary. drew says that if guarantees can be hat labour troubles will not affect the s, the ships will return to Britain. means a climb-down is necessary by :tkers. They have persistently refused w the ships to be handled. In the !, is the big United Kingdom-Austratainer service which could be diverted tely away from British ports.
Andrew expressed his regret at the s' decision, but stressed that OCL fulfil its contracts for through carf cargoes to Australia.
first ship, Encounter Bay, is to sail the first week of March. Eventually,
eight ships will be used on the service.
The trouble stems from an agreement signed by local union officials and the companies which means that dockers working the Elfin container berth at Tilbury would earn £37 6s 8d for a 34+-hour week. The powerful Region No. I docks group of the Transport and General Workers' Union refuses to ratify the agreement
OCL has complained about the union ban to Mrs. Barbara Castle's Ministry of Employment and Productivity and also to Mr. Jack Jones, TGWU general secretary-designate.
As a result, three senior TGWU officials—Mr. Tim O'Leary, national docks secretary; Mr. Bert Fry, London regional secretary; and Mr. Peter Shea, London docks secretary—all addressed a meeting of the docks group delegates.
They failed because the men argued that the OCL deal should not be implemented until the second stage of post-Devlin docks modernization with its attached wage increases was negotiated and introduced to cover the whole port.