Freezing Workers Approve Use Of Contractors

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31832, 9 November 1968, Page 1

Freezing Workers Approve Use Of Contractors

(New Zealand Press Association!

AUCKLAND, November 8.

About 800 freezing workers at the Auckland Farmers Freezing Co-operative, Ltd, works at Moerewa are expected to approve the use of contractors to replace 31 striking fitters there on Monday.

The fitters went on strike on Thursday over the company’s refusal to negotiate a local agreement for the job.

It is believed that the strike does not have the backing of the Auckland Engineers’ Union, to which the men belong, or of their national council in Wellington. The Auckland Freezing Workers’ Union executive met on Thursday night and recommended that if the strike continued, outside labour should be brought in so that the freezing workers would not be affected.

Today the 800 freezing workers worked, but there was little to be done in their normal jobs. Today the union proposed to the fitters that they allow two or three of their men to continue working to keep the rest of the men employed. The fitters refused.

“Now we are implementing the executive recommendation to work with outside contractors,” said the union president (Mr F. E. Barnard). He had informed the secretary of the Engineers’ Union (Mr J. J. Crummey) of the fitters’ refusal to work a few men, and of the decision to permit contractors to take over the fitters’ jobs. Mr Barnard agreed that his union was taking an unprecedented step in permitting contractors to take over jobs done at\the works by members of another union A resolution by the strikers was passed on to a freezing workers’- delegate. It read:

“We request an immediate meeting of the national council to implement the decision made by them to withdraw from the national agreement. On acknowledgement of commencement of such a meeting we will consider returning to work.”

It is believed that the fitters will meet at 2 p.m. on Monday. At 8 a.m. on Monday the Moerewa freezing workers will meet to consider the recommendation from their executive that they work with contracting fitters.

It was expected that the men would carry out the recommendation,. said Mr Barnard.

Mr Crummey said today that the Moerewa fitter's strike was now in the hands of the national council. He would not comment on it The industrial relations officer for the company, Mr L. W. Lane, said tonight that the recommendation from the Freezing Workers’ Union to hire fitting contractors would be discussed over the week-end. A decision would be made by Monday, he said.