Bus cleaners’ stand makes strike likely

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33934, 29 August 1975, Page 3

Bus cleaners’ stand makes strike likely

Z Press Association/ ( WELLINGTON. August 28. Two women cleaning Invercargill City Council buses on contract said today that they would stay in their jobs and defy the Invercargill Tramways I nion. This makes an extended strike by Invercargill bus drivers, and strike support by municipal drivers in- other centres, inevitable. Mrs June McLean and Mrs Lorraine McDowell said through their spokesman, Mrs McLean’s husband. Malcolm, today that they were standing firm against approaches to: join the Tramways Union. “They are standing firm against the union. They are independent contractors, not servants of the citv council, and they intend to stay that: way,” said Mr McLean.

. Mr McLean said no circum-i .stances could change the. minds of the women. The union has been, persuading the women to] join it as the way out of its, confrontation with the coun-. cil over their employment on contract. At present the union is in defiance of a decision of the Industrial Court; bv threatening strike action! unless its demands that’ cleaners join the union are* met. The national executive of l the union will meet in Wellington next week to. decide what action bus; drivers throughout the coun-! try will take to support the Invercargill men. The terms under which Mrs! McLean and Mrs McDowelli are working for the city coun-j cil were submitted bv Mr Me- 1 Lean and signed by him. Mr McLean, who is employed by the Transport Department in Invercargill, said today that his wife and Mrs McDowell were not his employees. “They are working in their own right.” he said. He had submitted a tender for the women and had signed a contract on their behalf simply to assist them. He had also taken over as .spokesman for them to ensure' the right things were said.