Restricted hours for firemen

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32879, 30 March 1972, Page 1

Restricted hours for firemen

Christchurch firemen will be working restricted hours as from Saturday; the Christchurch Metropolitan Fire Board at a special meeting yesterday decided that it could not “agree to, or accept” the union’s move.

The board held the meeting after an earlier meeting between representatives of the board and union representatives (the liaison committee). The board was told by its members present at the liaison committee meeting that the Canterbury Fire Brigade’s Union secretary (Mr G. G. Walker) said the union members would be working restricted hours from Saturday until further notice. The board and the union have agreed on a new award which will give firemen a 42hqur week in place of 56, and will give an average wage increase of 3.58 per cent The

board has recruited and given basic training to 34 new firemen (52 new men will be required in all). As far as manning is concerned, the board is in a position to introduce the 42hour week as from Saturday. but it takes the stand that to agree to the new award coming into force before Jt has the approval of the Remuneration Authority would be unlawful. The working of “restricted hours” (the 42-hour week) from Saturday is not expected to result in any industrial strife between the board and the union, nor to lower the brigade’s fire-fighting effici-