Crucial meeting for boilermen

Press, 3 May 1977, Page 3

Crucial meeting for boilermen

■ I Stationary engine drivers! ;in Canterbury will hold a; t! stop-work meeting in Christ-j Lchurch tomorrow to. hear; i from their union executive; why their award talks broke; y down last week. The meeting will be at-1 !i tended by job delegates only,; ['leaving boilermen to main! ■ tain boilers at factories and! • hospitals. 1 According to the acting! - secretary of the Canterbury I branch of the Stationary 1 Engine Drivers Union (Mr R. ;i H. Caffell) boilermen not at dthe meeting will have the J chance to vote by proxy i > through their delegates. | '! The branch executive met, rt yesterday and formulated a' recommendation which will! ' be put to tomorrow’s meet-! >;ing. Mr Caffell would not re-; 1; lease details of this, but it; • is understood that the meet-; ’ ing will discuss the possi-j i bility of strike action. |

! Conciliation broke; down in j Christchurch late on Thurs- ; day evening after two days I of talks. An earlier round of I talks in March also broke ! down, and was followed by | rolling stoppages. ! The strike in Christchurch lon April 18 stopped production in rubber factories and ! some meat-works. Exemptions were granted to some I food processing factories and hospitals. When the Christchurch talks broke down the employers’ advocate (Mr A. B. Jones) gave a warning that iif stoppages were to occur! 'many employers might have' ito suspend workers. They; ; could do this under thej 'amendment to the Industrial Relations Act which provides | for such action where i through the direc t actions of I a group of some staff other; i workers are left with no! 'normal work.