Dispute At Pukeuri Freezing Works

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30453, 29 May 1964, Page 12

Dispute At Pukeuri Freezing Works

A dispute has arisen at the Pukeuri freezing works ovpr the dismissal of a worker. The union is alleging victimisation because he has been a prominent unionist, and the dispute is likely to be taken up on a national level. All work stopped at Pukeuri yesterday when the men held a special meeting to consider the refusal of the Waitaki Farmers’ Freezing Company, Ltd., to re-engage Mr E. Miller, who has been employed by the company for the last 28 years. Mr F. E. McNulty, general secretary of the New Zealand Workers’ Association, and Mr F. L. Langley, a member of the national executive of the Federation of Labour, attended the meeting. The dispute began when Mr Miller, at the finish of his employment for the season, was fold there would be no job for him next season or any future season at the works, Mr McNulty said. When approached by the union, the management refused to give any reason.

For many years Mr Miller

held various positions in the union and was now president of the Oamaru Trades Council and a national councillor of the Federation of Labour, Mr McNulty said. It should be the right of any worker to be advised of the reasons for his dismissal and have a legal right to appeal against any dismissal he considered unjustified, Mr McNulty said. The Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) should consider an amendment to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act giving workers a right to appeal against dismissal, a right enjoyed in many other countries. The meeting had reaffirmed its view that Mr Miller should be reinstated to his usual employment for the 1964-65 season and pledged itself to take whatever action was considered necessary by the federation acting in conjunction with the Freezing Workers’ Association, Mr McNulty said.

The manager of the Waitaki Farmers’ Freezing Company, Ltd., Mr E. J. Neilson, would make no comment on the dispute last evening.