Union rejects sacked men

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33480, 11 March 1974, Page 2

Union rejects sacked men

(Hew Zealand Press Association)

ROTORUA, March 10. No union protection will be available to the 60 tunnellers who refused to work at the west face of the Kaimai railway tunnel and were sacked last week by the Ministry of Works.

“They disobeyed the rules and were dismissed,” said Mr J. Rippey. an official of the Auckland branch of the Workers’ Union. The action of the men in refusing to work at the face because of the high temperatures was unofficial and without the support of the union. "These men are now outside the protection of the union,” said Mr Rippey. Also, the men had lost their service time and benefits as employees of the Ministry, and “if thev want their jobs back they will have to go on their knees and ask.” The Ministry will now advertise for replacement tunnellers. Mr Rippey said the union had received a vote of confidence on the matter from the remaining 120 men on the west portal site, and that was the usual two-thirds required.

Tunnellers and others on the site worked under a general Workers’ Union agreement, plus a special site agreement, he said.

The special conditions of heat and humidity which had

become apparent at the west face were under negotiation between the union and the State Services Commission.

Mr Rippey said the question of special conditions would then go to the Wages Tribunal. The Workers' Union felt its i honour was at stake in the matter, according to Mr Rippey, who said it had a good record of industrial relations in the many big jobs it had -been associated with such as I Deep Cove and, more I recently, the Tongariro 'scheme.