NO CHANGE IN N.I. FREEZING DISPUTE

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32210, 31 January 1970, Page 1

NO CHANGE IN N.I. FREEZING DISPUTE

(New Zealand Press Association; WELLINGTON, January 30. North Island freezing workers tonight rejected a new offer by freezing companies to begin negotiations on a new award. The companies had earlier set back the deadline by which they must be notified of a decision to resume normal work from 10 ajn. today to 10 a.m. Monday.

If the hew deadline was not met, the offer stated, no sheep or lambs would be offered for slaughter at any freezing works from Tuesday. The secretary of the North Island Freezing Workers’ Union (Mr T. F. Collerton), said the offer was not worth considering. He would not even call the North Island federation together to discuss it

Nor would he meet the secretary of the South Islandbased New Zealand Freezing Workers’ Association (Mr F. McNulty), he said. The secretary of the Freezing Companies’ Industrial Union of Employers (Mr J. Murray), said the new offer was made to Mr McNulty at a meeting today, and relayed to Mr Collerton by telegram. Mr Murray said he had proposed that mutton slaughtermen resume normal work on Tuesday and that in return the employers would place the boning and beef incentive disputes at Longburn before the Freezing Industry Disputes Committee. Pending the decision, neither workers nor the company would take any provocative action. The disputes committee would also be asked to rule whether the dismissal of two mutton butchers at Longburn earlier in the week was justified. In the meantime, the two men concerned would have their status changed to suspension and would be placed on stand-by. If the disputes committee decided that their dismissal was not justified they would be reinstated without loss of pay from the time normal work resumed at all works. As soon as normal work was resumed at all freezing works arrangements would be made for a prompt meeting to set in train negotiations for an award for the industry. Mr Collerton said the only point freezing workers were interested in was having the two men who had been wrongfully dismissed, returned to their jobs. At the Longburn works today only beef butchers were working. Mutton killing stopped on Tuesday morning. An estimated 200 back-up I mutton workers dependent on | the mutton kill for work were suspended by the works management this morning. ] Each received a notice say-1 ing they were suspended until the dispute was settled I and normal killing resumed.

There was no organised march on the Longburn freezing works this morning. Mr R. J. Pedley, speaking for himself and on behalf of farmers affected by the drought and industrial disputes, said today the march

I could take place later, as a . last resort. He had spoken to a number , of farmers, and obtained ■ agreement that this action ' could “wake somebody up.” s “I did not intend to give ■ the impression that the march i would be held today,” he said.