Carpenters may strike

Press, 7 December 1978, Page 3

Carpenters may strike

PA Wellington The building and construction industries face possible industrial disruption early next year. The national executive of the Carpenters’ Union says it will meet in Wellington on Monday to plan the action because of the employers’ boycott of award negotiations. It threatens to start with a series of stop-work meetings around New Zealand in January, and lead into hardline industrial action. “Job workers are getting in touch with their union officials and demanding that action be taken over the employers’ attitude,” said the national secretary (Mr A. Russ). “Demands for this have gone in to every one of the 24 carpenters’ unions in the country.” Employers walked out of

award negotiations on October 18 without responding to the union’s submissions and claims. They “blacked” the conciliation talks planned to resume in Wellington last Monday. They say that for as long as bans and pickets are maintained on Auckland’s Mangere Bridge project, which has now been idle for more than six months, they will not negotiate a new industry award. The employers’ advocate! ; (Mr R. Richards) said from' . Auckland yesterday that the fact conciliation was not. ■ proceeding was entirely ini ! the union’s hands. “They should remove their > restrictions on the bridge, • and allow conciliation to proi ceed. That’s the stand the employers have always f taken,” Mr Richards said.