Abattoir firm calls in Minister

Press, 7 September 1976, Page 1

Abattoir firm calls in Minister

The Minister of Labour (Mr Gordon) has been asked to intervene in the dispute which has stopped slaughtering at the Sockbum abattoir since August 23.

The assistant managingdirector of Canterbury Bye Products, Ltd (Mr A. S. Marshall) made the request after 130 striking abattoir workers voted yesterday morning not to return to their jobs. Mr Marshall said the strike was illegal under section 125 of the Industrial Relations Act, which requires workers in essential industries to give 14 days prior notice to any strike action. “Slaughtering of stock is an essential industry under the act,” said Mr Marshall. “Proper notice was not given, and therefore we have called upon the Minister to intervene.” Mr Marshall said striking •workers had given him no notice of their intention to return to work on Wednesday, when a further rr eeting would be held. “They have asked for pay for

some of the days they were suspended, but have not specified how many. We will not agree to this.”

The secretary of the Meat Workers’ Union (Mr W. R. Cameron) says however that pay is not an issue in the strike, although it was earlier in the negotiations. “This is a protest against the system,” said Mr Cameron yesterday. “The workers want to make it clear that they will not abide by a system whereby employers can suspend workers because of a dispute that does not involve them.” Mr Cameron said that Mr Marshall was “quite right” to appeal to the Minister. “Under the circumstances, it is the best thing to do. But while he is at it, he ought to ask the Minister to amend the part of the act which allows this kind of thing to happen.” However, there seems little immediate likelihood of Mr Gordon coming to Christchurch, says our Parliamentary reporter. He will have to be in Wellington during the pre-

sent session of the Industrial Relations Council of which he is chairman. He will also be required to lead the Government in the House on Thursday and Friday, because both the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) and his deputy (Mr Taiboys) will be absent. His only booking for Christchurch is for September 16, when he is tentatively booked to leave by air for Teheran, where he will attend the Asian Labour Ministers’ Conference.

Although meat supplies at Christchurch butcher shops were rapidly depleting yesterday, the vicepresident of the Canterbury Meat Retailers’ Association (Mr C. W. Birch) said he was not aware of any shops closing. "Most shops have been able to stay open because of shipments from Hokitika. Blenheim and Timaru,” said Mr Birch. "The supplies they are getting are not sufficient, but they should be enough to keep shops open till Wednesday, when abattoir workers will meet again.”