F.O.L. ready to take stronger role in pay talks

Press, 20 July 1979, Page 1

F.O.L. ready to take stronger role in pay talks

PA Wellington The Federation of Labour will take a more active role in this year’s wage round.

Sixty advocates, representing 52 unions, met at the federation’s office in Wellington yesterday to discuss their approach to wage negotiations in the “current economic and political environment.” They have recommended that any settlements which could have a significant national effect, particularly in the case of a big award, should be discussed with the F.O.L. executive before a final agreement is reached. One important agreement, the general drivers’

award, is already in dispute. The possibility of the Government’s either freezing or restraining wages if the Drivers Federation takes further action to force its claim for a 21 per cent pay rise was high on the agenda. The president of the F.O.L. (Mr W. J. Knox) said the drivers were not handing their dispute to the F.O.L. executive, but they were keeping it up to date on developments. The meeting had agreed that conciliation guidelines would be sent to unions. They were not pay rates below which unions should not settle, Mr Knox said.

The F.O.L. did not want to be seen to be interfering in the affairs of unions. The F.O.L. made it clear what would happen if the Government tried to end or restrain free wage bargaining or if it made further moves to deregister a union. A resolution calling for an urgent special conference had been unanimously supported, Mr Knox said. Such a conference would be called “very, very quickly” to consider “appropriate industrial action.” The union movement was sick of Government threats to end free wage bargaining unless unions settled on acceptable

claims and, Mr Knox said, employers also opposed wage restrictions “because that will bring about wage bargaining with individual employers.” One concern was the possible effect on wage relativities if the F.O.L. succeeded with its application for a $147-a-week minimum living wage, the application for which would start in the Arbitration Court on July 31. Mr Knox said the meeting had accepted that unions would retain their relativities. The F.O.L. conference in May had instructed the national executive to hold the meeting before the wage round, he said.