Protest By Night Shift At Factory

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30855, 14 September 1965, Page 1

Protest By Night Shift At Factory

The entire night shift—numbering about 150—walked out of the Riccarton factory of the Carpet Manufacturing Company (N.Z.), Ltd., soon after 6 p.m. yesterday after a protest meeting, called by the spinning department, to discuss the dismissal of a worker.

The secretary of the Riccarton branch of the Woollen Workers’ Union (Mr P. McGinn) said the man who was dismissed by the management was the one who last week had moved the original motion calling for a secret ballot on the company’s bonus system.

“This action was felt by his fellow workers to be a clear case of victimisation,” said Mr McGinn. He said the entire night shift went home. A meeting of all shifts had been called for 8 a.m. today outside the factory. Mr McGinn added that the walk-out by the night shift might have repercussions with the day shift today, although he sincerely hoped it would not.

“The day after the introduction of the new rates of incentive in the hanking department. the staff in this section reduced their rate of output and adopted a ‘goslow’ policy,” said a statement issued by the company setting out its side of the dispute.

“For the last six weeks employees in the hanking department have not been giving a fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay, although they have been drawing the company’s basic wage payable in terms of the award.”

The statement summarised the management’s attitude as: “The company’s terms of employment include the operation of an incentive scheme. “The basis of the incentive scheme (in operation) was agreed to in every detail by the union’s elected representatives on June 17 last year. “The company intends to operate the scheme as agreed and to revise rates as and when necessary to ensure that all operatives shall have the opportunity to earn financial rewards for personal effort, and that there shall be equity between employees. “The company is fully prepared at all times to discuss and explain such revision but reserves the sole right to decide whether and when any revision of rates shall be applied. “The company is prepared to train, at company expense, a union member as a methods engineer who shall have the right to check the accuracy of incentive rates and revisions at all times.” The statement added that the adjusted hanking rates still provided opportunity for employees to earn substantial bonuses in keeping with bonuses earned by other employees: