Project Strike May Spread

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30529, 26 August 1964, Page 1

Project Strike May Spread

(New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL, August 25. Workers employed on the Manapouri power scheme tail-race tunnel contract at Deep Cove, Doubtful Sound, and on the Aviemore diversion tunnel project may be asked to strike in sympathy with the men employed by Morrison-Downer-Fletcher on the West Arm access tunnel contract.

The president of the West Arm Workers’ Committee (Mr A. H. Pilling) said tonight that if West Arm workers received no satisfaction in their demands for union representation and a 50 per cent wage increase “unions on other hydro-electric contracts in the South Island will be asked for support"

He reiterated there was no possibility of the West Arm men returning to work until they had received full satisfaction in their requests for union representation and increased wages. He said the men must receive satisfaction by tomorrow or they would begin approaching unions on other hydro-electric jobs. The Deep Cove job, only 14 miles from West Arm, is likely to be the first one asked for support It was rumoured last week that Deep Cove workers would be asked for support Mr Pilling was given the text of the statement released after a meeting in Wellington today called by the F.O.L. of all unions concerned to discuss the West Arm strike, which is tomorrow in its thirteenth day. He said he would telephone Wellington at 8.30 a.m. tomorrow for a full report on the F.O.L. meeting. The men would meet at 9 a.m. “What we decide will depend on what we are told. But a resolution already on our books provides that we will not go back to work until both questions are answered, Mr Pilling said.

The majority of unions concerned wtih the strike at the West Ann project of the Manapouri power scheme today asked the Federation of Labour to meet the contractors in an effort to negotiate a settlement, said a Wellington message. Representatives of the unions met in Wellington today, and all except two asked the national executive of the F.O.L. to act on the issue.

The president of the F.OX. (Mr T. E. Skinner) said the main object of a meeting with the contractors, Morrison-Downer-Fletcher, would be to. improve conditions and rates of pay of the men on strike. Mr Skinner would not name the unions which were against the F.O.L. meeting the contractors. However, he said, all present had signified their intention of abiding by the decision. Commenting on the West Arm dispute between the Workers' Union and the Labourers' Federation, Mr Skinner said he had told the meeting that jurisdictional disputes were not the responsibility of the F.O.L. national executive. The F.O.L. would take no action in such a dispute unless it was handed it voluntarily. The secretary of the Labourers’ Federation (Mr P. M. Butler) was not present at today’s meeting. The vice-president of the Labourers* Federation, Mr L. V. Swan, and the Canterbury branch president, Mr G. B. Brady, attended.