A.S.R.S. HALTS MEN’S MOVE

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31071, 28 May 1966, Page 1

A.S.R.S. HALTS MEN’S MOVE

Offer To Unload Whiting

'l'he council of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants yesterday in Wellington banned the provision of “cheap” labour by Christchurch members of the society.

The council decided to inform the Railways Department that in no circumstances could men in E shed unload whiting from railway waggons for less than the amount and conditions negotiated and agreed to by the council.

The department had advised the council that the men in E shed had refused to handle whiting under the terms negotiated by the council, but would handle it without payment of any allowance at all.

This is the latest move In I the quarrel between the branch and the council, which on Tuesday suspended the] branch because its represen-] tatives would not accept a settlement the council had made with the Railways Department on the handling of whiting in E shed at the Christchurch railway yards. STATEMENT ATTACKED The council yesterday also issued a statement alleging many inaccuracies by the workers’ delegate for E shed (Mr M. Yeatman) in a report in “The Press” yesterday. No member of the Canterbury branch had been suspended from the union, it said, and all members were fully protected in any matters affecting their employment and union membership. “The Canterbury branch, as such, has been suspended for refusing to carry out a national council direction. There are no branch officers, and

two trustees have been appointed by the national council to administer the affairs of the branch in the meantime,” the council said. “Far from selling its members ’down the drain,' the national council is protecting them.

“The negotiations in the dispute had become deadlocked at the local level, and had become a national matter as a I result. | “The general secretary (Mr IN. A. Collins) made no promise in Christchurch not to finalise anything without the men deciding whether they would accept it. And he did not accept is 6d an hour dirt money after negotiations in Wellington. “These negotiations were conducted by the national council, and agreement was reached by that body with the Railways Department. No promises to the men were disregarded. “MISLEADING” “To say that the national council did not improve on the men’s own negotiations is quite inaccurate and misleading to members of the public." The local negotiations broke down at Is 3d an hour, the council said. The national negotiations gained further time to wash up, with the dirty-work allowance payable for this time. This, over the eight hours necessary to complete the unloading of whiting, would be equal to about 2d an hour extra. Overalls were also to be provided by the department. Subsequently, the national council negotiated for a further 3d an hour, and this was agreed to. In addition, the branch would be able to negotiate with local departmental officers on any other matters arising out of and in the course of the working of this cargo, the council said.

“The question of any future elections, or otherwise, to appoint new branch officers is a matter for the national council to decide. But in any case a branch election would cost nowhere near the £2OO quoted by Mr Yeatman.”