Individual Unions At West Arm?

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30762, 28 May 1965, Page 12

Individual Unions At West Arm?

A forecast that the many individual unions concerned would cover their own members on the £l3m power-house contract at West Arm, Manapouri, was made by the secretary of the New Zealand Carpenters’ Union (Mr W. F. Molineux) in a telephone interview yesterday.

An agreement of this type among the unions concerned would not in any way preclude a composite agreement being reached to provide uniformity on such things as holidays, dirt money, and other fringe benefits. The job is expected to employ 1000 men. Mr Molineux, who is also a member of the national executive of the Federation of Labour, said that his union would definitely oppose any move by the New Zealand Workers’ Union to cover the West Arm power-house. Mr Molineux said that his union had not objected to the workers’ union covering the Deep Cove job, because there were only four or five carpenters on that pob. But the West Arm power-house would be very different, with about 300 carpenters engaged.

Mr Molineux said he would not be surprised if the workers’ union had already made some moves to get coverage of the West Arm power-house. “I have heard they’re trying to move on the £l3m. Tongariro power project,” he said.

Asked what he thought of the chances of the New Zealand Workers’ Union getting the West Arm power-house union coverage, Mr Molineux said: “I feel they have not got a chance to get away with it—we will oppose it.” Electrical Workers

The secretary of the Otago Electrical Workers’ Union (Mr W. C. McDonnell) yesterday said in a telephone interview that he expected about 100 electrical workers would be employed on the West Arm power-house. “We will be expecting to cover them,” he said.

Mr McDonnell said that he had been informed unofficially that about 150 members of the engineering workers’ union would be engaged at the power-house. These would include mechanics, turners, and fitters. “I have been informed from unofficial talks that the engineers’ union will be expecting to cover its own men,” said Mr McDonnell. Mr McDonnell said that coverage by indivdual unions would not in any way preclude a composite agreement among the unions. A composite agreement, he said, would help to facilitate such things as a common basis for holidays and dirt money. But wages would vary according to the particular calling of the employees. Trade unions where higher skills were involved would obviously receive higher pay.