Govt threatens hard line in drivers’ dispute

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 1

Govt threatens hard line in drivers’ dispute

PA Wellington The Government has threatened to take a hard line in the drivers’ dispute, after news that conciliation talks broke down in Wellington yesterday.

In a carefully worded statement, the Minister of Labour (Mr Gordon) said: “A further round of action by drivers could have serious repercussions on industry and the primaryproducing sector. “Such action is unacceptable, particularly in view of the fact that adequate procedures are available for the resolution of this dispute. The Government expects that these procedures be followed without the need for industrial action.”

The employers had declined to continue conciliation if Gisborne drivers went ahead with a two-day strike which started yesterday.

The drivers then withdrew their claims from conciliation, giving them a free hand in future industrial action. That action is likely to include more strikes as they press for more money.

The employers’ decision came in spite of indications that the union had set the strike timetable when talks had been going badly — but could not stop the action later. The Gisborne drivers made their strike decision on Monday morning as conciliation resumed in Wellington. The timing of the meeting appeared to have been settled the previous week,

when the Drivers’ Federation was seeking to meet employers informally, outside the conciliation process.

Mr Gordon said it was the Government’s view that unsettled matters should be referred to the Arbitration Court, as provided under the Industrial Relations Act.

After yesterday’s breakdown, the Drivers’ Feder» ation award co-ordinator (Mr R. J. Campbell) said the employers had used the strike as an excuse to stop the talks. “If they were realistic about negotiating, they would have kept talking in spite of a strike in one district,” he said. “They are simply ‘kicking for touch’ all die time and delaying things as long as possible.” The employers had agreed the previous evening to meet again yesterday, even though they knew about the strike, he said.

The federation would now consult the Federation of Labour, because it had been responsible for starting negotiations towards a restructuring of the drivers’ award two years ago. The F.O.L.’s national executive will meet tomorrow and will undoubtedly •discuss the dispute. The employers’ advocate (Mr J. S. Beattie) said he

was disappointed about the breakdown, especially after the employers had made concerted efforts to produce a new pay offer on Monday.

The offer, which would boost drivers’ earning by about 9 per cent, is still 6 per cent, short of the union’s demands.

Chances lessened yesterday of the Northern Drivers’ Union being deregistered in the present dispute, the Press Association reports from Auckland.

The state of national confrontation appeared to have taken the heat off the northern union. The F.0.L., which is likely to take up the drivers’ cause, in doing so should “field” any further deregistration talk by the Government. The Northern Drivers’ Union has been particularly concerned about a Government threat of deregistration, and has taken moves to safeguard both its standing among its members, and its assets.

Individual transport companies have been asked whether they would recognise the officials of the union even if the union were deregistered, and the union has taken the precaution of signing assets such as cars over to neutral ownership.