FORD CO. DISPUTE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29848, 14 June 1962, Page 15

FORD CO. DISPUTE

Pay Claim By Unions

(NZ. Preu Aun.—Copyright) MELBOURNE, June 13. A meeting of the Australian Council of Trade Unions and representatives of the 13 unions involved has called on the Ford Motor Company of Australia to pay its employees for all , time lost because of the present dispute.

A threat of “more determined industrial action" was also made in a resolution carried by the meeting. A statement issued afterwards said the Ford Company had rejected all attempts to settle the dispute on the basis of fair compromise. and had been responsible for the provocation of the dispute by its “blatant, ly anti-union attitude." The meeting authorised the I council, in conjunction with '.he Federated Clerks’ Union, to continue all efforts for an immediate settlement on this basis, the statement said. It added that "failing satisfaction within a reasonably short period, trie unions directly or indirectly affected will be called on to decide a more determined industrial action."

It was abundantly clear, the statement said, that the company only granted the Federated Clerks Union access to organise after the strongest pressure was exerted on it and then it was given in bad grace. Attitude Deplored

“We deplore the injection of a type of attitude into Australia's industrial affairs which cannot be allowed to go unchallenged by the trade union movement." it said. ‘‘The unions are also aware that the meeting held by the Clerks’ Union at Geelong last February was subjected to organised disruption and the responsibility for this lay with the company.” The statement said the meeting depreciated the "attempted use of the standdown of employees as an intimidating weapon against a union involved in the pursuit of a genuine industrial objective.” The council secretary (Mr H J. Souter) said a further meeting of unions on a more representative scale would be called. 900 Stood Down So far. 900 men have been stood down by the Ford Company from its plant at Broadmeadows, near Melbourne, and 103 have gone on strike. Another 200 workers will be stood down from tonight from Ford's Sydney plant. The company claims it has been forced into the standdowns because a waterfront clerks’ ban on imported Ford parts being moved has brought production to a standstill.