State unions get promise

Press, 18 September 1976, Page 4

State unions get promise

PA Wellington State unions will not be 'subject to the legislative changes the Government is contemplating to provide for industrial penalties and voluntary unionism.

The chairman of the Combined State Service Organisations (Mr Ivan Reddish) confirmed yesterday that this assurance had been given by the Minister of Labour (Mr Gordon) in a telegram, in response to an urgent inquiry from the C.S.S.O. Mr Reddish said Mr Gordon’s assurance was clear, but the C.S.S.O. would seek a meeting with him on his return from overseas, to discuss this and related issues.

The president of the Federation of Labour (Sir Thomas Skinner) said yesterday that the fact that the pro£>sed changes in industrial w wotild not apply to State

unions was of no concern to the F.O.L.

State service negotiations were not a matter for the F.0.L., he said.

He denied reports, however, that there had been a lot of progress at the first two meetings of the subcommittee of the Industrial Relations Council which was set upto investigate the proposed law.

Speaking from his Auckland office, Sir Thomas said: “The situation is that we are still talking about it. But we are hoping that what’s finally decided on won’t have I any relation to the draft pro[posals.” ! There had been no agreement on many of the vital issues, and it did not seem likely there would be. The next meeting of the sub-committee will be on Tuesday, and it will report back to the Industrial Relations Council the following week.