Strike vote by drivers today

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 1

Strike vote by drivers today

Wellington Drivers’ unions will meet today to consider a recommendation that they call off their 48-hour stoppage and other planned inaction so that conciliation talks on their new award can resume on Friday. The recommendation, from the president of the Drivers Federation and secretary of the Federation of Labour (Mr K. G. Douglas) was made after a three-hour meeting at Parliament yesterday.

Mr Douglas, the F.O.L. president (Mr W. J. Knox), and vice-president (Mr J. Boomer) were called to a meeting with the Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger) after threats by the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) that free wage bargaining would be stopped unless the drivers called off their strike. The drivers began a 48hour strike at midnight on Monday in support of their 20 per cent wage claim, after a breakdown in award talks. Drivers in

Canterbury had voted to stay out for five days. Mr Bolger emerged from the meeting about 2.45 p.m. to say that the Drivers’ Federation had agreed to ask its affiliated members to hold meetings today with a view to ending the strike. The agreement was on the understanding that the employers would agree to resume conciliation talks on Friday, he said. Mr Bolger said that he hoped some drivers would be able to return to work

before 48 hours had elapsed. He also wanted the longer strike in Canterbury called off. Mr Douglas said that the recommendation for a return to work would mean an end to other planned action by drivers, as well as the 48-hour strike. Mr Bolger said the question of free wage bargaining also was discussed at length. The Government’s position was that this would be stopped unless the drivers' action ceased.

An end to free wage bargaining would create problems, but problems also existed in wage settlement procedures at present, Mr Bolger said. Mr Knox said that he had an agreement from Mr Bolger that the F.O.L. would be called in for talks if any move was proposed to introduce wage regulations. He and Mr Bolger were asked for their reaction to Mr Muldoon’s statement on Monday evening that he had “asked Bolger to call

Knox in the morning and tell him this is the end of the line on free wage bargaining.” Mr Knox said he had taken up “very strongly” with Mr Bolger the attitude of Mr Muldoon. Mr Bolger had no comment. Mr Knox also said that the F.O.L. would not continue to take threats from Mr Muldoon to bring in wage regulations every time an industrial dispute occurred.