Ministers may face court

Press, 3 September 1977, Page 1

Ministers may face court

PA Wellington A breakdown in the electrical workers’ award talks may lead to a court ruling on the Government’s role in advising parties negotiating under free bargaining. The Electrical Workers’ Union advocate, Mr A. J. Neary, yesterday said that legal proceedings were being taken against three Cabinet Ministers — Mr Gordon (Labour), Mr Templeton (Associate Finance), and Mr Gair (Electricity) — for alleged breaches of the Industrial Relations Act.

The three Ministers met employer representatives on Thursday evening. Soon afterwards, the employers withdrew offers of 7.4 per cent to workers in Auckland and Wellington, and 9.4 per cent to workers in other areas. Assessors for the

employers resigned, and the union said a striKe would begin on September 19. Mr Gordon has denied that he and other Ministers directed employers to withdraw their offer of 9.4 per cent to electrical workers. Reports that the Government had threatened to nationalise the industry and bring back the wage freeze if the 9.4 per cent figure was paid were denied by Mr Gordon, who said the wage freeze was never mentioned at the meeting with the employers. It is believed that the government fears that at least two of the country’s electrical supply authorities might break any agreement reached between employers and the union, paying much higher rates. The Government is believed to have told the

employers it would act immediately, using existing legislation, if this happened. Mr Neary said he did not believe Mr Gordon’s assurances that the Government had not interfered in the negotiations. “We know the contrary to be the truth,” Mr Neary said. “We challenge Mr Gordon on it anywhere and at any time. We challenge him to repeat it in a court.”

The prosecutions will allege that the three Ministers breached section 146 of the act, which says: “Every person who prints or publishes anything calculated to obstruct or in any way interfere with or prejudicially affect any matter before a conciliation council, the Industrial Commission, or the Industrial Court, is liable on conviction by the Industrial Court to a fine not exceeding $200.”