Supreme Court ‘freezes’ union ballot

Press, 17 July 1978, Page 2

Supreme Court ‘freezes’ union ballot

PA Wellington Results of the ballot on Compulsory unionism for persons covered by the Freezing Companies Clerical Workers’ Award have been “frozen” by an interim order from the Supreme Court. The interim order prevents the Registrar of Industrial Unions from issuing a certificate as to the result of the ballot which has just been concluded. The order was made by Mr Justice Ongley in chambers in the Supreme Court, Wellington, and means the prohibition will apply until a further order of the court. The substantive hearing of an application for a permanent order has been set down for hearing at 2.15 p.m. tomorrow. After consultations with

the Federation of Labour, the union itself applied for the injunction after the F.O.L. had earlier complained to the registrar regarding the alleged anomalies in the way the ballot was conducted. After listening to the complaints, the registrar rejected the F.O.L.’s appeal. “This was the only redress the union had because there is no right of appeal to the registrar’s decision,” Sir Thomas Skinner, president of the F.0.L., said yesterday. “This matter of right of appeal has already been taken up with the Minister of Labour (Mr Gordon), who has said the matter will be considered sympathetically. “It will probably be on the agenda for the next Industrial Relations Council meeting, Sir Thomas said.