Firemen’s Action Held Irresponsible

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30233, 11 September 1963, Page 5

Firemen’s Action Held Irresponsible

(New Zealand press Association)

WELLINGTON, Sept. 10. The action of the Wellington Fire Brigadesmen’s Union in making its dispute with the Wellington board a national instead of a local issue was irresponsible, said Mr W, G. Bugden, president of the New Zealand Urban Fire Authorities’ Industrial Union of Employers, in a statement today reviewing the dispute. He said New Zealand had a very high standard of fire service and to maintain that standard discipline was essential. The man who was dismissed had refused to carry out an order and it was not an isolated refusal. The union had subsequently asked the Wellington board to take action outside the award by agreeing to submit the dispute to independent arbitration. The union had demanded a full inquiry into the Wellington board’s industrial relations with its brigade staff. Mr Bugden said it was futile for the union to say its members would carry out fire-fighting duties only. Unless they manned the watch-rooms, serviced fire appliances, and washed and dried hoses, tfhe service would soon come to a stop. “What is the union’s real quarrel with the board —is it

on the wider issue of a general inquiry into industrial relationships, or is it that the board and its executive officers have bad the temerity to dismiss the union president? “If his dismissal is the main issue,. then just where is the fire service in this country drifting? “Are we to have an efficient, disciplined service or not? “We say that our duty is quite dear in that st is our responsibility to see that the service is maintained at the highest possible level, and not conducted with two sets of rules—one for the ‘rank and file’ and the other for the union president. “The Wellington Fire Board has the full support of the New Zealand Urban Fire Authorities’ Industrial Union of Employers in this dispute,” said Mr Bugden.