Factory strike continues

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33601, 1 August 1974, Page 18

Factory strike continues

An exchange of proposals between the Canterbury Rubber Workers’ Union and the Firestone company this week has not brought the strike which closed Firestone’s Papanui factory 10 days ago any closer to a solution.

About 240 men walked off the job alleging that Firestone had breached factory agreements by arranging to put an extra man on each shift in a tyre curing room. The men said that adding an extra hand to the sevenman shift would cause their I bonus payments — a substantial part of their weekly earnings — to fall. After a meeting on Mon-; day. the men said that they would go back to work providing that there was a return to the status quo in the curing room, and a thorough scrutiny of manning! scales and bonus payments, which applied there. Firestone replied that it

would agree to the men returning to work with seven on the curing room shift, but reserved the right to put on additional men. However, the union says that putting extra men on the shift without prior discussions breaches a 'written agreement and it was this that caused the strike. In an effort to get talks started the union yesterday suggested a meeting between Firestone and the union be held “to establish an agreeable basis for negotiations.” Firestone declined the offer. The men will meet at 9 a.m. on Saturday to consider the matter again. Apparently following a company policy, Firestone officials have refused to comment, apart from a press release made last Friday.