Butter Supplies In Auckland Low

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32303, 22 May 1970, Page 14

Butter Supplies In Auckland Low

(New Zealand Press Astociation)

AUCKLAND, May 21.

Butter is expected to be almost unobtainable round Auckland by tomorrow afternoon as a result of the strike by Auckland butter delivery drivers.

The drivers will meet tomorrow morning, but the chances of a quick settlement do not look bright. By mid-afternoon today about 75 per cent of grocers and dairies in the area had sold out of butter.

A steady flow of callers to the city depot of Auckland Co-operative Farm Products, Ltd, were met by a “butter supplies exhausted” sign. Hotels, restaurants, lunch bars and coffee houses are sharing the predicament of housewives faced with fastdwindling supplies. For many it could be a week-end without butter.

At tomorrow’s meeting an organiser of the Northern Drivers’ Union (Mr H. S. McCaffley) will tell the butter and cheese delivery men the outcome of today's discussions between the union and the Farm Products management.

Mr McCaffley said tonight after the three-hour talks that little progress had been made in the claims for more holiday and sick pay and improved work conditions.

He said he would not pre-

diet what the attitude of the men to the situation would be, but he doubted if they would be satisfied with the outcome of the talks. “In an endeavour to reach a solution the drivers agreed to withhold claims over wages and job conditions until May 24,” he said. “But our gesture has not been reflected in the attitude of the company. So far the management has been very uncompromising.” Mr McCaffley said the union was very conscious of any inconvenience to the public, and had offered to allow vehicles to take butter from the New Zealand Co-operative Dairy Company store to the Farm Products depot so that retailers and heavy users could collect their own supplies. Hospitals were being well supplied.

Godfrey Seventh. —The New Zealander, W. J. Godfrey, finished equal seventh In a 18hoie professional-amateur golf tournament at Glenelg. Adelaide, four strokes behind the winner. B. Coxon (Australia), who shot a course record »7.