Strikes Spread, No Solution In Sight

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31923, 26 February 1969, Page 1

Strikes Spread, No Solution In Sight

(New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 25. There is no prospect of a quick end to the big strike which is paralysing freezing works, cool stores and abattoirs in the north of the North Island.

Late this afternoon 700 men at the Waitara works of Thomas Borthwick and Sons, Ltd, joined the 7000 members of the Auckland Freezing Workers’ Union who struck in the morning, morning.

Auckland provincial cool stores and abattoirs are also idle but the Auckland Municipal Abattoir worked normally today. The manager, Mr R. S. Graham said: “But whether the men will work tomorrow I don’t know.” Loading of export products is at a standstill and at least one ship, the Pagen Sand, sailed from Auckland today without her full cargo of meat. The Pagen Sand left for tne Pacific Islands short of 35 tons of that cargo. The strike is over a refusal by the three major freezing companies in Auckland to allow shed delegates from the Taranaki union to visit their works. Talks Refused The employers refuse to discuss the matter until work is resumed. But Au'■’ land union officials say the men will stry out until the delegates are allowed to visit the works. “Our blokes are adamant,” said the president of the Auckland Freezing Workers’ Union (Mr F. E. Barnard). Mr J. B. Walton, secretary of the New Zealand Freezing Companies’ Association, said in Wellington tonight that the companies were equally adamant there would be no meeting or discussion until work was resumed.

“The Auckland companies have the whole-hearted support of all the other North Island freezing companies jn their stand,” said Mr Walton.

Fundamental Right

“It is a fundamental right of management to decide who shall or who shall not enter the plant under any conditions except those persons who have a statutory right to do so. “The Auckland union made no approach to the management seeking permission for these men (the visiting delegates) to visit the works." The secretary of the North Island Freezing Workers’ Union (Mr T. F. Collerton) said permission had been given to allow the men to visit sheds in Auckland. “Later it was refused because of a telephone call made by the manager of the Waitara freezing works to one of the Auckland companies concerning the delegates. “I have been told that the manager requested the Auckland companies to refuse admission to these men as they would note conditions in Auckland and go home and cause trouble trying to bring

1 about the same conditions in ; Waitara. a “This matter is being in- ' vestigated by the Taranaki 1 union now. If this does prove - to be the case we will take direct action against the company concerned.” Mr Walton did not know of r the alleged call. i “I categorically deny that i any permission to allow any t visit was ever given. “This is simply because the union never made an s approach to the companies for t permission before the delel, gates arrived in Auckland,” y Mr Walton said. f “If no permission was ever given, how could it have been r withdrawn?” f He could not say why the men had been refused admis1 sion to the works. » “As far as I know, each j approach is judged on its ins dividual merits.” r Other Works Mr Collerton said he was approached by Auckland . union officials to contact other ’ works throughout the North Island seeking support for their actions. ' “With one exception (Wai- ' tara), they all decided that as ; they had never experienced any trouble with visiting dele- ; gates, nothing could be gained by going out in strike in sympathy with Auckland.” Borthwick’s freezing works J in Feilding returned to nor--1 mal this morning after the '■ meeting yesterday afternoon ’ of the Freezing Industry Dis--1 putes Committee. 1 Mr Collerton said this morning the committee considered > that both parties should not - have taken direct action be- > fore going to the disputes i committee.

“However, in view of the circumstances, the union’s

claim for payment for missed hooks caused by mechanical defects was justified,” said Mr Collerton. Burnside Offer The Burnside, Dunedin, dispute is still unresolved after union officials today rejected a management offer to refer it to the Freezing Industry Disputes Committee. The management further proposed that the two men whose dismissal had caused the strike, be held “suspended” pending the decision of the disputes committee. “If the decision found the company had acted wrongly, the men would be reinstated and the loss of their normal earnings made up to them,” Mr J. M. Ryan, the Burnside works manager said today. The offer was rejected by the union officials. Drivers’ Union The Otago Drivers’ Union will hold its first stop-work meetings on Thursday morning in support of the Burnside branch of the New Zealand Freezing Workers’ Union.

' The union secretary (Mr W. M. Mellett) said today stopwork meetings would be held on Thursday on individual jobs. “The meetings will be held to discuss the ruling rate campaign,” he said. “On Friday there will be a centralised stop-work meeting of all general carrier drivers again to discuss the ruling rate campaign.”

At Thomas Borthwick and Sons, Ltd, Belfast, 600 men have been on strike since Thursday. Another meeting of the men is expected to be held this morning. The strike began when workers in the lamb cutting room complained that the room was too cold and draught,. A spokesman for the company said yesterday that it was unfair to describe the air movement in the room concerned as a draught.

“It is not a draught. It is just air movement caused by the cooling system and it is within requirements laid down,” he said.