Petrol sales to continue

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33516, 23 April 1974, Page 1

Petrol sales to continue

Ganterburx service stations will continue to sell petrol durin” the nest few dins.

If a further shutdonn is contemplated lover the petrol resale margin issue, the public will be sriven ample warning, a meeting of more than 250 members of the Canterbury branch of the Retail Motor Trade Association decided last eveninir. Reporters were not admitted to the meeting. 1 which lasted more than three hours. A statement was issued afterwards by the branch's executive, service station, and public relations committee. The margin for reselling petrol had fallen to an uneconomic level, and the branch would ask the association’s head office to nego-i itiate to restore the profit j 'margin, the statement said. The Canterbury branch i would sunport fully any; .recommendation the national !executive might give after! inegotiations had been completed. Minister's promise In view of the promise; yesterday by the Minister of I Trade and Industry (Mr I Freer) that he would give a ! decision on profit margins; within 10 days, the branch; ■would withhold any further! faction on the hours of busi-l jness until it received a. ■ recommendation from the i national executive. Over the last few months,; (the industry had been

required to absorb <'in? of . the 8.5 per cet increase, a 1! of the 2 7 r cent increase, and v mid ■ have to ah* > 11< , nr. ; M per cent rise. th? statement said With the pru services and I ’■ >ur. pins th ■ recent 20c incrvise in r trol prices, it was un> ■< n ■ ■ t u ■ some service sm;i w ’■■ run at the p’esint l< \el tpo tit margin, said tht branch s statement. Petrol stations throughout the citv did good bnsine** yesterday as topped up their tanks “just ■ in case." But the announce ■ ment during the day of Mr ■ Freer's promise appeared to ■ have “defused" tht situation " \-»ur;m< e Mr l I ortune. ■ ■■ ■ of the Engineers' Union, which Corers all servlet st;(tion employees, said ) ester iday he had met represents lives of the Retail Motor Trade Association who had assured him that union mem hers would not lose any money in the dispute about [resale margins. Mr Fortune said the union was sympathetic towards gat'age proprietors but it would 'not accept a loss to its memqbers. Mr Freer made his promise ’yesterday after discussion; between his department and ’ I representatives, of the Retail [lMotor Trade Association. ■ The talks began after the trade gave a confirrnat'on — ‘■ ■ought by Mr I rwr — ’hat ‘ service stations were open. Mr Freer had sa I ■lwould review retailers mar ‘■gins when the trade pro iduced new figures on the ‘financial effect- of week-end closing of garages. “The additional financial iligures relating to sales and ‘costs have b- en suppli d a. i I are being discussed, and I 'nave given a guarantee that ■ a decision will he made iwithin lo davs," said Mr Fret r Representatives of the Otago. Southland and Can 1 terbury driver' union* d i cided that, in the event of service stations <losin, ’-.without adequate notice to lithe public, the drivers con > icerned would not suppit -I petrol t.. ceriain garages - when they opened again i Servile station proprietor* .;dismissing staff as a re*'it [of the present dispute will ■lalso face the possibility ol reifusal of service , New licences issued lor . petrol retailing would not be ■serviced bv petrol tanker ,(drivers unless they had been J issued through the proper authority, the unions decided