Strike recriminations

Press, 6 November 1978, Page 7

Strike recriminations

PA New Plymouth Journalists’ employers had either gone mad or were out! to smash the New Zealand! Journalists’ Union, the president (Mr B. Joyce) has told the annual conference of the union in New Plymouth. i ; “There can be no other; interpretation put on their ! irrational behaviour,” said ■ Mr Joyce, adding that two; strikes and award negotia-i tions had been costly to the j union and it might be necessary to levy members to! help cover the costs. Mr Joyce said a sorry' record of industrial relations! I had been nurtured by the! i Newspaper Publishers’ Asso- : ciation in the last year. : He cited the employers’; ; decision to suspend staff •during the Press Association i dispute, alleged dishonesty iin breaking a written return--1 to-work agreement during i the June strike, “stupidity” jin forcing the strike over back pay and the term ofj (the award, and moves to im-i (pose early retirement and j redundancies on the employ-j lees at Independent News-1 j papers, Ltd, without con-j jsultation. The executive director ofj •the N.P.A. (Mr M. Thomp-I Ison) said in a statement re-j (leased in Wellington that if 1 I Mr Joyce was commited toj improving industrial rela- j j tions in the newspaper in-1 idustry, his annual report! I seemed a strange path to I j follow. Mr Joyce was suggesting (that employers in the news-! (paper industry were totally! | responsible for prolonged (delays in conciliation, des-| I tructive disputes, strikes.

•and the breaking of agreements. • “We feel Mr Joyce should be reminded that industrial relations are a two-way affair, and that the Newspaper Publishers’ Association representatives have always I .been available for con-1 (ciliation, did not break the return-to-work agreement during the June strike, have not gone raving mad or decided to smash his union,! and take strong exception to his allegations, particularly ihis references to alleged dis-’ (honesty and stupidity.” I Mr Joyce told the New! Plymouth conference that, I the time had come to vote! lon affiliation with .the FedI eration of Labour. The!

union’s national council had commissioned a report on the implications of affiliation. If the conference decided that a ballot on affiliation should be held, the report would be made available to members, said Mr • Joyce. “Our relations with the Printing Union have hit ihighs and lows since the last national conference. We (were never closer with the (union than during the Press Association dispute. Unfortunately, at a national level relations have soured and • this is repeated on some ; newspapers.” Mr Joyce urged journalists to try to heal the differences.