Wharfies flee as ship's crane collapses

6.00pm

The Maritime Union said today that the collapse of a ship's crane at Dunedin's Port Chalmers last night could have cost the lives of wharfies.

A crane aboard the Hong Kong-flagged Maritime Friendship snapped around 9.30pm while logs were being loading aboard.

Several workers on the ship and the wharf had to dodge the swinging boom and a pile of logs which rolled free of the ship.

The union's national president Phil Adams said today that the crane's collapse was a shocking indication of how flag-of-convenience ships had introduce Third World conditions into New Zealand ports.

It was the third incident this week aboard the Maritime Friendship.

The ship's departure had been delayed for almost a week after it was discovered that about forty 4m metal stanchions were damaged and had to be replaced.

The International Transport Federation is also investigating claims the ship's owners were only paying seamen between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of their agreed rate.

- NZPA