Ford Production May Be Halted

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29843, 8 June 1962, Page 11

Ford Production May Be Halted

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MELBOURNE, June 7.

Industrial strife today continued to plague the multi-million pound Ford Motor Company of Australia and now threatens to bring company production to a standstill .

In the latest moves today: The Commonwealth Industrial Court in Sydney ruled unanimously that the company can legally stand down any of its 6000 Australian workers without pay because of a wharf tally clerks’ “black ban” on Ford shipping freight. Members of six unions—numbering about 199 went on strike at the company's plant at Broadmeadows. Melbourne, because of last Tuesday's stand-down of 600 workers there. Another 500 men. members of the Vehicle Builders’ Union. who are still working at the plant, are awaiting on a direction from their union leaders as to what action they should take.

The dispute began several weeks ago when the Federated Clerks’ Union imposed a “black ban” on all cargo consigned to and from Ford because of the company’s refusal to compel clerical workers at its Geelong plant to become union members The company claims that as a result about £BOO 000 worth of essential Ford parts are lying on Sydney and Melbourne wharves, and that unless the ban is lifted it will eventually have to cease production in Australia and put off a big majority of its wo-k force

The ban has already “killed” a promising export trade of Ford vehicles and parts to New Zealand, the company says.

The three sitting judges of the Commonwealth Industrial Court today ruled unanimously that Ford could not be held responsible for the waterfront ban The company was entitled to stand down without pay any of its workers for whom work could not be found because of ‘he ban. the Court said. The company was before the Court to show cause why it should not be prohibited from committing a breach of the Vehicle Industry Award bv standing down production workers at its Broadmeadows plant.

The Vehicle Builders Federation submitted yesterday that the shortage of materials necessitating the standdowns was caused by a dispute for which Ford was responsible; but the Court ruled today that the company could not reasonably be held responsible for ’ the shortage of materials. It was entitled to reject the clerks' union’s demands for compulsory unionism. The whole situation. bringing about the stand-downs, was the sole responsibility of members of the Clerks’ Union, the Court said.