DISPUTE AT FACTORY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29499, 28 April 1961, Page 15

DISPUTE AT FACTORY

Work To Stop Today taarffCLMl, wfU arrlve at the . factory jrt, 730 am. todta tat Wißnot start ••• involved in afdtaStowith tne sunagement over wages; ■nd the workers were astarta. yesterday of the sup-the.--Canterbury disWrteouncii of the Federation “ ’BUS men, • through their Union, argue that they should .the plasterers' Jtaerd an<J paid journeymen Wlirtererg wages. The comPahy. which n a branch of • firm which operates in Auckland and Wellington as Wfffi as Christchurch, has applied for the men to be included in an award which covers the other branch factories "All workers and unions are urged tb grant full moral and financial support to the workers employed by New Zealand Wallboards, Ltd., who have ceased work until the company honours the provisions of the Canterbury and Westland Plasterers’ Award, which covers like workers in other factories in the district and which provides for a minimum rate of 7jd an hour in excess of the minimum rate being paid by New Zealand Wallboards." said a statement issued yesterday bv the district council. “No Progress’’ A meeting had been held of representatives of the Federation of Labour, the union, the workers concerned and the management of the company in an attempt to resolve the dispute, said Mr F. L. Langley, president of the council, but no progress was made.

The executive and the disputes committee had decided that the men had no alternative but to withdraw their labour, as their continuance of employment on the present basis was a threat to the wages of all other such workers, who had always operated under one award in the district, the council's statement said. “The company is seeking exemption from the provisions of the local award by application for exemption," the statement continued. “The council considers that this is not a case for arbitration, but is a definite breach of the award by the company. The executive is referring the whole matter to the annual conference of the Federation of Labour in Wellington next week.” Company Statement "As soon as production commenced in Christchurch, application was made to the Court of Arbitration for the Auckland and Lower Hutt award to be extended tb Christchurch, and the men and the union secretary are aware of this.” said Mr G. Maskill-Smith, general manager of the company, from Auckland last evening. “The Court hearing, urgency for which has been sought, should determine the matter.”