Talks On Rubber Mills Dispute

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32349, 15 July 1970, Page 18

Talks On Rubber Mills Dispute

After the loss of more than a fortnight’s production by 50 women at the Empire Rubber Mills, representatives of the management and of the Canterbury Rubber Workers’ Union will meet in a Department of Labour office this morning under the chairmanship of the South Island Conciliation Commissioner (Mr S. W. Armstrong).

The department first suggested this meeting more than a week ago. The union agreed right away but at that time the management was not prepared to accept an independent chairman. The women have been more or less continuously on strike over a claim for an additional weekly bonus payment of $3.50. On a number of occasions they have returned to work for a few hours for negotiations to be resumed, but have gone home again when these broke down.

The management made its first offer on Monday: $1.20 a week for all its rubber

workers—lso men as well as the women. At 7.45 a.m. yesterday it increased the offer by a Sl-a-week attendancebonus for the women.

At a stop-work meeting at 8 a.m. yesterday, the women rejected the offer but reduced their own demand to $3.20. The men decided not to consider any offer for themselves until the women’s dispute was settled.