Three works idle yesterday

Press, 22 February 1977, Page 6

Three works idle yesterday

Slaughtermen and labourers walked off the job at the Islington freezing works yesterday. The works rnanagemeni has not been told the reason for the walk-out, and the; union could not be con-| tacted last evening for an explanation. The works manager (Mr G. Nuth) said that the 200, labourers and 160 slaughtermen held a meeting yester-l day before their normal! starting time, and decided not to start work. “However, the labourers; have promised to return to 1 work today, and hopefully, the slaughtermen are also resuming work.” Mr Nuth said. In Hastings, (he Whakatu; freezing works dispute entered its tenth day yester-l day, with union and company! representatives waiting for the arrival of the chief industrial mediator, (Mr Phi!l Cranston). No sheep or lambs have been killed at the hig works! since butchers walked off the!

sf job at midday on Friday. . ( February 11. .1 Despite a round of talks chaired by an industrial i mediator on Friday, the disI! pute is still deadlocked. ; tj In Dunedin, no killing is ■< expected at the Burnside (works before Friday at the 11 earliest. Union representatives met .(the works manager (Mr F. i(Davis-Goff) yesterday morn-| ;ing, but their work-to-rule (offer was rejected. 11 “We offered to work under I, the status quo until talks; could be held with a rep re-( ; tentative from head office onj i Wednesday.” said the union l president. •• “Mr David-Goff said this] i was not acceptable. He i! would not call for a union j ■ representative until he had ■I had further talks himself, and •’he would be out of town until Friday in any case. The breakdown in talks I concerns a set of 29 pay iclaims, for what the men call, 1 additional duties. They want parity with the rates at the] iFinegand and Pukeuri works.