Storemen may be deregistered

Press, 27 October 1977, Page 6

Storemen may be deregistered

PA Auckland The Auckland Storemen and Packers’ Union will be deregistered by the Government today if it does not call off strike action in Auckland and Tauranga. Extensive strike action has been waged through the northern industrial district since the collapse of the storemen’s award on September 23. If that action did not stop immediately, the Minister of Labour, (Mr Gordon) threatened last evening, the union would have to face the consequences. The Government is believed to have had in mind deregistration or possibly legislation aimed specifically at holding back the storemen’s wage rates. The union, although not calling off the strike action as required, acted hastily last evening to arrange a special executive meeting for 11 o’clock this morning to consider the telegram. Mr Gordon's telegram said that the Government was “gravely concerned” at “protracted” stoppages by the union, which had affected distribution and exports with direct consequences for the economy and the public interest. The strike campaign was contentious from the start, when the union turned down a 7 per cent wage offer and demanded 13.8 per cent, the settlement reached in the national drivers’ award. A widespread roiling strike campaign began immediately, affecting the public only silghtly, but being felt one day a week by at least 130 companies in Auckland and Hamilton. The storemen’s award covering bulk freight forwarders was settled in Auckland, meanwhile, to take the heat out of one aspect of the strike campaign. A wage settlement of 9 per cent was reached. Another section, covering wine and spirit merchants, will begin talks again on November 4.