'Immediate Start’ For Sacked Men

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31975, 30 April 1969, Page 1

'Immediate Start’ For Sacked Men

(New Zealand Preet Association)

PALMERSTON NORTH, April 29.

The beef butchers and boners dismissed from the Co-operative Wholesale Society freezing works at Longhorn could resume work immediately, the works manager (Mr T. Hastie) said this afternoon.

Fifty-nine men were dls-i missed on April 19 for “goslow tactics" which the man- 1 agement alleged had been tn force since the end of Febru! ary, when the union decided not to work under an incentive bonus scheme and returned to hourly rates. Mr Hastie said in a statement:

"Following a works union meeting, no approach has been made by the Wellington Freezing Workers Union to management.

“Nevertheless we are prepared to give an immediate start to the beef butchers and the beef boners, provided they resume work on their normal production basis—in the case of the beef butchers at production rate and in the case of the beef boners, the production rate prior to the end of February." This meant that these workers would resume work on a basis of approximately 9100 j and 8120 a week respectively “Once work is resumed . . management is and has been, prepared to discuss the reference of the dispute to the Freeaine Industry Disputes Committee for settlement," Mr Hastie said “It seems futile that these

men should, under union directions, resume work on 850 and 844 a week respectively. “This offer is open to acceptance at any time. The management reiterates that it is not prepared to re-engage these men on a go-slow basis.”

The Wellington Freezing Workers' Union president (Mr F. B. Thorn) said after the union meeting today that the union would be stepping up its activities to keep the disnute before the public. The dismissed workers intended to wait on the steps of Parliament for the Minister of Labour (Mr Shand) if the dispute was not settled by next week.

In Palmerston North it was planned to distribute pamphlets and to hold poster parades. provided the City Council gave permission. Mr Thorn said that at today's meeting the Manawatu [Trades Council pledged its I full support, as did the other branches of the union which 1 had in total about 5000 workers.

There was work available lat the Ngauranga freezing ;works and the union would be taking dismissed Longburn men there.