Union Resents F.O.L. Tongariro Moves

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31077, 4 June 1966, Page 1

Union Resents F.O.L. Tongariro Moves

The intervention of the Federation of Labour in the Tongariro power project is an attempt to make further inroads on the membership and conditions of the New Zealand Worker’s Union, according to a statement by the union’s executive after its annual conference in Christchurch yesterday.

“We will not be ‘lined-up’ nor pushed around and neither will the members of the New Zealand Workers’ Union,” said the statement.

The union's general secretary (Mr W. A. Dempster) said the statement was issued on behalf of the 23 delegates attending the four-day conference. The delegates covered jobs from Deep Cove to North Auckland and included delegates from Turangl, Mangakino, and Matahina. Other Unions

The executive’s statement said that the Workers' Union had never conceded the point that other unions’ rules gave them the right to “push in as they are doing on our major hydro jobs throughout New Zealand.” Other unions had come into the picture and since 1960 had devoured two-thirds of the Workers’ Union construction force, said the statement.

The national president, Mr W. Whitty, of Otematata, would attend the meeting of unions called by the F.O.L. for next Wednesday in Wellington, the statement said. He would ask, on behalf of 700 Workers’ Union members on the Tongariro scheme, for the blessing of other unions to allow the Workers’ Union to negotiate with the contractors in terms of the federation’s conditions, and in line with the terms of conditions of wages and employment recently negotiated on behalf of the Departments of Works and Electricity workers. This, in turn, was in line with the ruling rate survey. , Housing On Jobs The union’s national executive, said Mr Dempster, agreed that private contractors in New Zealand did not allow for housing of married workers on jobs. Nor did private contractors establish villages and bring to these people the amenities city persons enjoyed. The Workers’ Union had always seen these things done in the past The statement by the union’s executive said that the union had some 7000 members housed on New Zealand’s major hydro jobs. These had some 30,000 dependants who

had made this type of construction work their way of life. They had invested their life savings in their homes.

“These persons are demanding that we come to their assistance in safeguarding their future at Turangi, Tongariro, and elsewhere,” said the statement.

The statement said that the two-thirds of the union’s construction members who had been lost to the union

since 1960 were being forced to work for private contractors.

By doing this these workers were losing conditions and wages that they had assisted in obtaining over many years in New Zealand.

The statement said that the union was a foundation member of the Federation of Labour. It was a loyal member and must accept and would accept majority decisions.