Other Unions To Support Printers In Dispute

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31908, 8 February 1969, Page 1

Other Unions To Support Printers In Dispute

(New Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, February 7. Support for the printers involved in the “Sunday Times” dispute has come from the biennial conference of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants.

The conference had instructed all its branches and members not to handle or transport the “Dominion” or “Sunday Times” or do any- ' thing that could weaken the printers’ case, a spokesman for the society announced this afternoon. The Wellington Waterside Workers’ Union supported the demands of the printers, a spokesman said today. The union called on all trade unions to take immediate and effective action to support the printers. There have been reports that moves are being made by trade unionists to put out a daily morning and a Sunday newspaper in Wellington in competition with the “Dominion.” The secretary of the Wellington Drivers’ Union, and a member of the disputes committee of the Trades Council (Mr K. G. Douglas) said today: “This has been suggested, but to my knowledge no positive steps have been taken.” “Slow Progress” Representatives of the Newspaper Proprietor’s Association met the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) today and expresed concern about the slow progress of the negotiations towards settlement of the dispute. The associaiton was concerned that the dispute, if not quickly resolved, might set in train a chain of events which would be damaging, not only to the company, but to the industry and in the long run to all those engaged in it. The deputation informed the Minister that it considered that arbitration was the most suitable approach to’ finding a solution. The Wellington Publishing Company has given an undertaking that if the printers returned to work producing the “Dominion” and the “Sunday Times,” rit would increase the “Sunday Times” payment by $1.25 pending the result of arbitration. In the event of arbitration awarding a - rate more favourable to the employees the company would make it retrospective. The deputation asked the Minister to use his influence to bring the dispute to arbitration at the earliest possible moment. A spokesman in the office of Mr Shand said the Minister had no comment to make on the meeting. Nelson Support The Nelson branch of the Wellington Printing Trade Union decided at a stopwork meeting today to support morally and financially the Wellington members involved in the “Sunday Times” dispute. The .branch president (Mr A. Hastings), said later that probably about $lOO Initially would be raised to assist the Wellington members. Additional donations from other printing union members in the Nelson district-were also expected.

The meeting today had decided to take no more action until Tuesday when the two Wellington parties in the dispute were due to meet again. Cut In Price

The directors of the Wellington Publishing Company have decided that if the “Sunday Times” is again reduced in size and content by the present dispute, the price of the newspaper placed on sale on Sunday will be halved from 10c to sc.

It seemed certain tonight that the “Sunday Times” would be forced to publish in curtailed form again. The price of the “Dominion,” as stated earlier in the week, is being kept under review. The “Dominion” was paid for by subscription as well as individual copy and alteration to the price posed accounting complications, the company said tonight. Union Reply

The secretary of the Wellington Printing Trades Union (Mr W. H. Clement) today replied to comments made by the company’s man-aging-director (Mr J. A. Burnet) concerning the alleged

dismissal of the printers last Friday. Mr Clement said Mr Burnet had only taken the events up to 3 p.m. that Friday. He said that Mr Burnet would not negotiate with the printers’ union or the process and engraver’s union, and for that reason, the unions were forced to go to the Wellington Trades Council. Mr Burnet refused to negotiate even with the Trades Council and it was only late on Friday afternoon that he agreed to meet the council’s president (Mr T. M. Hill), said Mr Clement. The threat of dismissal to the two men mentioned by Mr Burnet was suspended while Mr Hill tried to start negotiations. The afternoon shift was assembled and before Mr Hill could address the meeting and tell them the results of his negotiations with the management, the day printer entered the meeting and said that he had been instructed by the assistant manager to say that those who would not handle “Sunday Times” material were all sacked from that moment. The dismissal notice was therefore served en masse to

t a full meeting of the afternoon shift, plus some of the . night shift, Mr Clement said.