Unions forcing confrontation — Mr Muldoon

Press, 18 February 1978, Page 1

Unions forcing confrontation — Mr Muldoon

By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY

The Government is being forced with some reluctance into a confrontation with unions whose actions have caused discomfort for thousands of Wellington workers, according to the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon).

Legal action could be taken against those responsible for the rail strike which had almost paralysed Wellington for the last three days, he said.

“1 am advised that it is likely that there has been a breach of the law in respect of the notification of this stoppage and that action could be taken,” he said yesterday.

The Government on Thursday evening refused to call a compulsory conference on the dispute, which started over railmen blacking services to suburban Johnsonville because the management planned to replace some Sunday rail services to the area with buses.

The dispute was heightened on Wednesday when a driver who refused to take a Johnsonville passenger unit was suspended, and his colleagues went on strike. stopping both suburban and long-distance sendees from Wellington. The Cabinet on Monday is expected to examine what has happened in relation to section 125 of the Industrial Relations Act, 1973, as amended by amendment No. 2 in 1976. This relates specifically to the notification of stoppages.

Part nine of the original act outlined "uniustified industrial action.” The original section 125 carried the obligation of workers not to strike without having given the employer “within one month before so striking” not less than 14 days notice in writing of intention to strike. A similar obligation bound emnlovers contemplating a lockout.

When this was repealed it was replaced bv section 124 a as to penalty for failure to observe disputes procedure: 125 and 125 a “as related to strikes and lockouts affecting export slaughtermen.” In the Industrial Relations Amendment No. 2 Bill, 19”6, the original section 125 of the principal act was repealed and replaced bv a long new sec-

tion headed "Strikes and Lockouts in certain essential industries.” This provides a fine of not exceeding $l5O for any worker in an essential industry who strikes without giving 14 days notice in writing of his intention, or who strikes before the expiry of this notice.

A union, association, or employer behaving similarly is liable to * fine not exceeding $l5OO.

Among the essentia] industries defined in the first schedule of the original Industrial delations Act is "the working of anv railwav used for the public carriage of good-' or passengers. or of anv ansport service within the meaning of the Tra-sport Ac* 1962.”

The nattem of strikes on non-industria! matters was recognised bv the Prime Minister who ended his statement vesferdav w’th the comment- “I hone that in the meantime common sense wifi prevail and that no mor** wagps of working men will be lost in the interests of mindless mili- 1 fancy.”

It is clear that whatever action is taken must have the support of the average New Zealander, who in the Wellington area he been the main sufferer. The fact that a General Election later this vear w>” nass judgment of whatever is done or left undone is very relevant. "It is desirable that this issue should be taken over by either the national bodies of the railways unions or. alternatively, bv the Federation of Labour itself so '-at reason nan prevail and anv matters in dispute be dealt with inside the department, as Is normal,” said Mr Muldoon. Four Opposition members of Parliament from 'he Wellington region vesterdav sent an urgent telegram to the Minister of Transport (Mr McLachlan) asking him to call a compulsorv conference on the Wellington dispute. The telegram, signed bv Mr R. L. Bailee (Here-

taunga), Mr T. J. Young (Hutt), Mr F. M. Colman (Petone) and Dr G. A. Wall (Porirua), followed

jection by the Minister of Labour (Mr Gordon' on Thursday of a union request for a compulsory conference on die dispute. National officials of the unions involved in the strike said after the meeting with Mr Gordon on Thursday, that thev saw O'Way to break the strike. The National Union of Railwaymen’s secretary, (Mr Don Goodfellow) said yesterday that Mr Gordon appeared to be more intent on protecting the Railways Department from public scrutiny than in following constitutional ways to resolve the dispute. Mr Goodfellow and the national secretary of the Locomotive Engineers, Firemen and Cleaners’ Association (Mr Bill File) both rejected a statement by Mr Gordon that they would go to their Wellington branch unions yesterday “with an idea of a possible way in which the dispute could be solved.” Mr File said Mr Gordon "made a lot of suggestions on Thursday, none of which are practical.” Mr Goodfellow and Mr File both said that their meeting yesterday with Wellington branch union delegates was simply to inform them of the “hard-and-fast line” adopted by the Minister in the discussions. .

More than 300 bags of letter mail and 1000 bags of second-class and parcel mail have been held up in Christchurch by the rail stoppage, the chief postmaster in Christchurch (Mr J. C. Smith) said yesterday.

Surface mail between the North and South islands is at a standstill. This mail is normally carried by railair and rail ferry links. Mail held up by the rail stoppage would be kept at the point of posting and would be moved as quickly as possible when transport services return to normal, Mr Smith said.