Boilermakers reply to employers

Press, 14 September 1976, Page 18

Boilermakers reply to employers

IPA Wellington The secretary of the deregistered Wellington Boilermakers’ Union (Mr C. Devitt) has replied to an employers’ statement that employers would not recognise former officers of the union as representing the workers. ‘‘We have not yet reached the stage where employers have the authority to decide what persons are elected in any organisation,” said Mr Devitt. “That is the sole p-erogative of members of a union.” '.’he boilermakers met last Thursday to reconstitute I their union and re-elected their former office-holders. ' The Meta] Trades Employ-

i ers’ Association of Wellington met on Friday to discuss the boilermakers’ move, and . in a statement afterwards said they were under no ' legal obligation to recognise the former officers of the ; union “as representing the ■ workers who were previously • members of the union.” and had no intention of doing so. “Any companies affected >by disruptive restrictions ■ will have to take steps to i rectify the situation, and in ■ this action they will have ■ the full support of all other i boilermaker employers,” the statement said. Mr Devitt said that if the ■ employers refused to recogI nise the officials, “we will not recognise their officials ■ either.”