Concern For Future Of Motor Assemblies Men

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30511, 5 August 1964, Page 18

Concern For Future Of Motor Assemblies Men

Grave concern for the future of the men employed by Motor Assemblies, Ltd., who had their homes and property in Christchurch and would not be able to accept the firm’s offer to transfer to Nelson, was expressed last evening by Mr L. C. J. Southon, secretary of the Canterbury and Westland Coachworkers’ Union.

“1 am conferring with the management and also the Government to see what assistance can be given to those men who for domestic reasons will not be able to shift north with the firm,” he said. Mr Southon said he had already communicated with the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) asking him to indicate whether or not the Government would be prepared to assist in the placing of these men in Christchurch. So far, be had not had a reply from the Minister.

Motor Assemblies, Ltd., was scheduled to issue yesterday a questionnaire to the 130 members of the Coachworkers' Union employed at its Christchurch plant asking them whether they planned to move with the company to Nelson, said Mr Southon The company plans to move into the Nelson cotton

mill building next year. The building was recently bought by the company for £75,000. The union, Mr Southon said, had been assured by the general manager of the company (Mr A. R Cutler) that full production would continue at the company’s Christchurch plant for at least the next 12 months. “One of the assurances of the company’s executives to the union here is that there would be no actual firing for 12 months," Mr Southon said. “I am also assured by Mr Cutler that those who can and are willing to shift to Nelson will be given the opportunity to do so.” Mr Southon said he was doing everything in his “mortal power” to assist the men at Motor Assemblies. “I want those who can’t shift to be adequately compensated,” he said. “Under

the instructions of my executive I will call a meeting of the executive and union members from the Motor Assemblies* plant as soon as I have definite information which can be of assistance to the -men.” A worker at Motor Assemblies factory last night said that he and 62 other workers at Motor Assemblies had put their signatures on a letter to Mr Southon requesting him to call a special meeting of the union to discuss the future of the men at Motor Assemblies.

Mr Cutler last night said that Mr Southon’s statement was “quite correct. . . . "We are doing our best to put him, as the union secretary, completely in the picture. We have complete confidence in Mr Southon.

“Mr Southon is in possession of as much information to date as we have of the problems that both his people and our own are up against. “The questionnaire referred to by Mr Southon has been issued to the staff on a confidential basis because it seeks a lot of personal and family information which will be of assistance to us in facilitating the transfer of people to Nelson.”