Other Unions Now Involved In Dispute

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31092, 22 June 1966, Page 14

Other Unions Now Involved In Dispute

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 21. The carpentry dispute over “labour only” contracts at the Marsden Point power project spread today to involve all trade unions with men working on the site.

Meanwhile the secretary of the Auckland Carpenters’ Union, Mr A. Russ, said that the 100 carpenters who have not worked at Marsden Point since last W’ednesday were “committed to a long and possibly bitter strike” in support of their opposition to labour-only contracts.

The involvement of other unions came at a meeting in Auckland this afternoon when 10 trade unions whose members are connected with the project decided to call a stopwork meeting at Marsden Point at 12.30 p.m. on Thursday.

Mr Russ will address the meeting, which will be at-

tended by about 300 men working at the site or delivering materials to it As further support, the unions offered to help the New Zealand Carpenter’s Union in financing its strike fund, the first payment from which will be made to the 100 carpenters on Friday. Mr Russ said the carpenters’ protest was not directed at the consortium building the power station, and employing the carpenters. Nor was it directly aimed at Paramount Homes. Ltd., which is employing 10 labouronly contractors to build 60 houses in a permanent village. Rather, it concerned the Ministry of Works which had let labour-only contracts in spite of considerable opposition from the Carpenters’ Union, and in the face of re-

presentations to the Minister of Works (Mr Allen).

“The Government must have thought we were bluffing when we announced three months ago that the men would stop work if labouronly contracts were introduced,” said Mr Russ. He predicted that a large percentage of the labour force working at Marsden Point would have to be laid off if the stoppage continued. Many men employed there were labourers whose employment depended on the carpenters. Today the industrial relations officer for the consortium, Mr T. E. Skinner, jun., said the week-old dispute had so far had tittle effect on noncarpentry work at the project But this situation would be changed within a week if the carpenters did not return to work. Mr Russ said the union had more than £lOOO in its strike fund, and more was being collected. Strike pay of an undisclosed amount would be paid on Friday. Pickets with placards would be placed before the 10 labour-only contractors from tomorrow.