Cooling off period

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33626, 30 August 1974, Page 10

Cooling off period

(N'ew Zealand Press Association)

WELLINGTON, August 29.

Parties to the long-standing dispute over the handling of containers have three months to settle outstanding problems after a compulsory conference today.

This is the time limit given to the lifting of a 13-month-old ban by watersiders on the handling of meat containers packed by cool store workers.

Representatives of the Waterside Workers’ Federation. Meatworkers’ Union, and Cool Store Workers’ Union agreed to the lifting of the watersiders’ ban for three months to enable negotiations and discussions to settle the demarcation issue to take place. Thev also agreed that the Cool Store Workers’ Union application to the Industrial Court for a ruling on which union has the right to handle containers will stand.

But this application, made fust three days ago, will not be pressed prior to midNovember while negotiations) on issues arising from the compulsory conference continue.

The conference chairman (Mr C. H. Benney) said tonight he would be reporting to the Minister of Labour

(Mr Watt) tomorrow on his observations at the conference.

Parties to the conference will meet again on September 18. The compulsory conference was called bv Mr Watt eight days ago when the dispute was stalemated with bans and counter bans costing New Zealand millions of dollars tn overseas income.

However, the cool store workers simultaneously lifted their ban on export loadouts on Tuesday when they filed the Industrial Court application.