Employers to limit pay-out to freezing workers

Press, 12 April 1978, Page 1

Employers to limit pay-out to freezing workers

■ Staff reporters and Press Association 1 Some freezing workers will not receive the wage increase agreed to recently, an increase which the workers believed was across the board.

This potential flash point was compounded Yesterday when the Southend branch of Federated *armers accused freezing •'orkers of industrial treason and sabotage. In Wellington, the federation’s president (Mr A. F. Wright) has called for clarification of the wages settlement. He fears the Government’s contribution to the increased wages might not continue beyond July.

Mr Wright put the problems into the lap of the Meat Workers’ Union: “Farmers will react bitterly if the unions continue their present disruptive tactics,” he said. But the man who leads the union, Mr A. J. Kennedy, said from Dunedin last evening that he had not heard about the charges of sabotage and had learnt that boning contractors would not receive the 7.5 per cent wage increases only through a union official. “If they continue like this, what are we supposed to do?” he said, obviously puzzled by the directive from the Freezing Companies’ Association. He said he would approach the employers about the directive.

In a letter to the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon), the Southland president of Fed-

erated Farmers (Mr G. J. Pullar) demanded the prosecution of freezing workers who had allegedly broken the Industrial Relations Act. Mr Pullar said Federated Farmers “are aware of acts which are none other than industrial treason, and this kind of irresponsibility and sabotage is not going to be tolerated by the farming industry. “Such acts include the placing of gambles, or 3/Bin bolts, in the links, which then immobilise the chains, causing breakages in the chains, and so work must stop,” he said. “Stunning guns also (are) being held against metal until they are blown,” Mr Pullar said. “These acts are no doubt hidden under the guise of mechanical breakdowns.” Mr Pullar said the federation’s industrial relations committee had instructed him to write to Mr Muldoon about the industrial situation.

“Farmers of this province are completely fed up and irritated with the situation within the freezing industry in Southland.” he sad. The farmers’ main complaint lay with the Meat Workers’ Union, and the Prime Minister was asked to give assurances that alleged breaches of industrial law would be prosecuted.

“During the last week, three works in Southland have been completely shut down without the union’s giving in writing the required three days notice. Stock were left in the yards, and finally some stock were returned to farms after three days at the works,” Mr Pullar said. Mr Pullar suggested that Mr Kennedy be asked to “discipline” his members. “We want to know what action the Government intends to take in these situations, or are they to be left unchallenged? If so, no doubt we may expect further of these disruptive tactics,” Mr Pullar said. “My committee contends that it is up to you to tell Mr Kennedy and his executive to discipline their members and that the unions must perform responsibly, otherwise the federation will actively campaign to see that they are de-registered, Mr Kennedy said: “I don’t know what he bases these charges on,, and I don’t know what evidence he has.” Prosecutions would only aggravate the situation. “You cannot get men to work under threats. Prosecutions would not get the desired result — it is just fanciful thinking.” There was only one way to achieve good working relations, and that was through personal discipline — “and that is a lot of hard work,” said Mr Kennedy.

He described the rest of Mr Pullar’s statement as “fairly typical.” “It shows the usual attitude as far as unions are concerned — they are always in the wrong, but there is no reference to the employers. It gets a little monotonous.” Mr Pullar failed to recognise the “hundreds

and hundreds” of disputes which were settled without publicity, said Mr Kennedy. The disputes he had referred to were “isolated incidents.”

Mr Wright said in Wellington yesterday: “Our clear understanding was that this Government contribution (to wages) would not become a charge against the farmer. If this is what is proposed, farmers will react angrily.” The executive director of the Freezing Companies’ Association (Mr P. D. Blomfield) said yesterday that the Government had suggested paying the companies on the basis of stock slaughtered. Each animal to pass through the works would earn a special payment which would vary according to the type of beast.

Under the proposal, the Government would then pay this amount directly to the companies to reimburse them for the extra wages they now had to pav. he said. The freezing companies and clerical officers finished their submissions to the Industrial Commission yesterday during arbitration on the clerical officers’ pay claim. Judge R. D. Jamieson reserved his decision, which is expected later this week — before the commission goes out of existence, to be replaced by a new Arbitration Court.

The union seeks 50c per hour relativity payment to match that now to be paid to the industry’s tradesmen.

Details of the tradesmen’s payment were also settled yesterday. Their award, replacing one which expired on December 22, will be backdated to February 1, and will expire on July 31.