Work Resumed At Tyre Factory

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30482, 2 July 1964, Page 1

Work Resumed At Tyre Factory

Workers who had been on strike for three days at the Papanui factory of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of New Zealand, Ltd., returned to work at 4 p.m. yesterday, said the secretary of the Canterbury Rubber Workers! Union (Mr T. Fletcher).

The return to work, he said, was on condition that next Monday management and union representatives would meet to try to reach agreement on the question of alleged penalties placed bn 25 workers.

“Failing an agreement at this meeting, both parties have agreed to voluntary arbitration before the South Island Conciliation Commissioner (Mr S. W. Armstrong),” said Mr Fletcher.

On the question of incentive bonuses, which were also under dispute at Firestone, Mr Fletcher said the union had yesterday put forward seven points to the management. The union, he said, considered that these seven points should go into all incentive bonus schemes at the factory. “If agreement is not reached on incentive bonuses the union has reserved the right to withdraw any incentive schemes that work in the Firestone factory,” said Mr Fletcher. “The men will then work strictly to the award.”