Tussock board: no legal action

Press, 22 April 1977, Page 1

Tussock board: no legal action

The North Canterbury nasseiia Tussock Board yestterday decided not to proceed with legal action against “adverse publicity highlighting its functions”.

The board released a statement after an in-com-mittee discussion with one of its legal advisers, Mr Neville Young. The board’s secretarytreasurer (Mr A. J. McKendry) declined to say against whom action had been considered.

Last January, the board decided to refer articles published in the "Christchurch Star” to its solicitors. The articles contained criticism about living and working conditions provided by the board for its Fijian workers. The board’s statement said: “After discussions with the board’s legal advisers to consider recent adverse publicity highlighting the board’s functions, the board has no intention of taking legal action.

However, the board makes public a report by its operations manager as it feels this explains the board’s position to those interested.”

The report by the operations manager (Mr D. W. McLellan) describes his recent trip to Tonga to recruit tussock grubbers there to replace the Fijians. Mr McLellan said that a welfare officer had been employed to help the Tongans to settle into their new environment and guide them in social activities. In between his visits, a ranger would advise them.

About $4300 has been spent in supplying blankets and sheets to employees staying at the board’s hos•tels and $9OO would be spent on laundering these. Sports equipment would also be bought and the board was considering providing a recreation building.

Of the 38 Tongans origi-

nally recruited, Mr McLellan said that five had been rejected by the New Zealand High Commission because they were over age, one because he had a prison record, and one for an unspecified reason. Replacements for the rejected men were expected to arrive in New Zealand within three weeks. In his report, Mr McLellan asked for a duty allowance for rangers and inspectors who supervised the hostels.

“These men are frequently called out during the season to deal with problems at the camps during the week-ends and at nights,” he said. The board agreed to pay the men an extra- $lO weekly while the camps were open.

Of an approach by the southern branch of the Labourers’ Union the chairman of the board (Mr M. K. Forrester) said that the secretary' of the branch (Mr

W. B. Brown) was "pushing his luck” when he said that the board had been given until Friday to respond to a draft local agreement for board employees.

Mr Brown said on Tuesday that if the board did not respond by today, the document would be put in the hands of a conciliator, forcing the board to negotiate.

He said that the document had been submitted to the board more than three weeks ago but the board had not replied.

Mr Forrester said that it was the first he had heard about the ultimatum. He said that the board would hold a special meeting to consider the document.

He thought that Mr Brown was after publicity. Mr T. G. Maxwell, a board member, asked what Mr Brown could do if the board did not arrive at a decision.

Mr McLellan said that he thought Mr Brown was bluffing.

“He’s trying to get it done as quickly as he can,” he said. “I don’t think he can do what he thinks he can.”

The draft agreement sets out the union’s ideas on what minimum conditions of work should be for the board’s employees, including the Tongan grubbers, foremen and rangers. The Tongans arrived a week ago and were issued by the board with supplies and helped with their shopping. Last week-end they attended church services at Waiau and Cheviot, and at Waiau 60 local residents went to the hostel after the service for cups of tea with the new residents.

After approval is given by the Industrial Commission of a joint application for a 3.5 per cent wage increase. the grubbers could earn $lO3 to $lO9 a week gross.