Assurances accepted

Press, 17 March 1977, Page 6

Assurances accepted

PA Wellington Threats to impose punitive legislation to discourage freezing-works stoppages were to be taken no further at this stage, said the Minister of Labour (Mr Gordon) yesterday. Speaking after a meeting with representatives of the unions covering freezing workers, Mr Gordon said he accepted their assurances that they would honour an agreement that they would kill stock before taking any strike action.

The meeting, in Mr Gordon's office, came after a series of stoppages in freezing works throughout New Zealand since Christmas.

In all these cases the union refused to give three

days notice of a strike, or to kill on hand or in transit.

Present at the meeting were the secretary and president of all branches of the union, and the national president and secretary. After discussions with Mr Gordon and then among themselves, the union representatives said through their spokesman, the national secretary of the Meat Workers’ Union (Mr F. E. McNulty) that they not only supported the agreement concerning the killing of stock, but were also prepared to hold meetings with Federated Farmers on a national and local basis to discuss any matters concerning the agreement. Mr Gordon said that in

the light of the assurances he had received yesterday, and the proposed meetings with Federated Farmers, threats to impose the punitive legislation would be taken no further at this stage.

“The past is the past,” he said. "But they are well aware of the consequences in the future.” Mr Gordon said he had heard things from the union officials at yesterday’s meeting which showed that in many cases employers were equally to blame.

The same threats to use the punitive legislation applied to these employers, he said. He had heard of cases where the employers had locked the workers out.