Hostel dispute continues

Press, 14 June 1978, Page 6

Hostel dispute continues

PA Wanganui The Wellington Hotel Workers’ Union last evening served a writ on the Wanganui Girls’ College board of governors, after other moves yesterday failed to settle a dispute involving striking hostel domestic staff.

The writ, filed in the Arbitration Court at Wellington, was served on the board’s secretary (Mr A. D. Wilson) at Wanganui just after 5.30 p.m. It was the climax to a day of hectic behind-the-scenes negotiations between the board’s acting chairman (Mr P. W. Mitchell) and the secre-

tary of the Wanganui Trades

Council (Mr W. Simmonds). The parties failed to agree on conditions under which an independent arbitrator, from outside Wanganui, would be appointed to decide how many of the 14 striking domestics would be reemployed. The domestics struck on June 6 in protest against the board’s refusal to recognise the Hotel Workers’ Union and to employ them under the private hotels agreement, negotiated by the union. Mr Mitchell said he had not yet seen the writ. The women continued to picket the hostel yesterday and the Trades Council’s black ban on the hostel remained in force.