Union election probe begins

Press, 24 February 1977, Page 4

Union election probe begins

The Registrar of Industrial Unions (Mr R. A. Quay) has begun investigations into alleged irregularities in the ballot for the office of secretary of the New Zealand Meat Workers Union.

Mr Quay said from Wellington yesterday that he had received three letters of complaint about the election, all from North Island sheds. In the ballot, Mr A. J. (Blue) Kennedy, of Dunedin.: defeated the secretary, Mr Frank McNulty, of Christchurch, by 120 votes out of 17,000. Mr McNulty is continuing as secretary unt’l April. Mr Quay said it would take him about three weeks to investigate the complaints, which are believed to have

come from the Wanganui, Hawkes Bay, and Auckland areas.

He said it would take this long partly to allow the returning officer (Mr Brian Alderdice, of Christchurch) time to comment on the ' complaints. If Mr Quay finds there is i a case to answer, he may [refer the complaints to the Industrial Court for a decision, in which case hearings would be held in Wellington. The Court has the power to declare the election null and void, order Mr Kennedy not] elected, or order a new elec-| tion to be held. Delegates from the union are at present meeting behind closed doors at their national conference in Timaru.