Strike Off, Then On Again

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31144, 22 August 1966, Page 1

Strike Off, Then On Again

New Zealand Press Association*

\VI lANGAREI, August 21.

The labourers’ strike at the Marsden Point power scheme appeared to have been settled yesterday afternoon but negotiations fell down about 3 p.m. and will be resumed on Monday.

The strike started last Monday when a job delegate. Mr K. Grieg, was dismissed for allegedly abusing a foreman. The union counter-charged that the American foreman had abused the delegate. During the week several proposals were submitted to the union by the consortium but all were rejected. Friday's offer was to reinstate the job delegate, not in the section of the site in which he had worked pre-1 viously but in another section. The union agreed to this until the management insisted that the dispute still be subject to an inquiry by an independent chairman. A union organiser in Auckland. Mr E. C. Castell, said

;that if the job delegate went ■ before an independent chairman he could be found guilty |of the charge and dismissed, I but ■it w’as doubtful if any action would be taken against ' the American foreman if he 1 was found guilty. Mr Castel said there was 1 too much pin-pricking by the > management The union was i keen to go back to work. Mr J. G. Smith, construc- - tion manager for the consor--1 tium. said negotiations had i broken down because when - agreement seemed to have - been reached on a proposal the union would want the con- ■ ditions changed again. I He said it appeared that; • because the man who had ■ been dismissed was a job delegate. he could do what he: • liked. But the consortium had I to establish its authority.