DISPUTE AT MILL

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29900, 14 August 1962, Page 16

DISPUTE AT MILL

Wage Order Payment <N Z Press Association) ROTORUA. August 13 The 200 employees of the Fletcher Timber Company's mill at Ngongotaha decided to return to work and refer their dispute over wages to the Federation of Labour after a stop-work meeting al midday The secretary of the South Auckland branch of the Timber Workers' Union (Mr R C. Hamilton) said later that two issues were involved—the dismissal of 12 men through retrenchment and the failure of the firm to pay the 21 per cent wage order “The company is only passing on the increase to a minor prooortion of the employees.” he said Mr Hamilton said timber prices had been increased by 3d a 100 ft because of the genera] wage order and the union maintained that the 2j per eent should have been added to all the workers’ rates

Mr H Barker. Fletchers' personnel officer, said the 2J per eent had been paid to employee* legally entitiled to it—the men on the basic award wage He said the eompanv had gone to some trouble to ensure that the men dismissed had alternative employment Asked if the company planned similar reductions of staff in other branches. Mr Parker said he did not know He dealt only with Ngongotaha.