Govt threatens to freeze boilermen's pay rates

Press, 16 January 1980, Page 3

Govt threatens to freeze boilermen's pay rates

Auckland boilermen will be told today that the Federation of Labour recommends that they resume normal work. The Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger) said yesterday that the Government would move to freeze boilermen’s wage rates unless they returned to work “promptly.” The secretary of the F.O.L. (Mr W. J. Knox) said the boilermen would meet this morning to vote on whether they will accept a proposal to be explained to them.

A return to work would be conditional on a meeting between the Engine Drivers’ Union, the employers, and the F.O.L. on January 24 in Wellington. The employers had already agreed to this meeting.

Mr Knox said he was reasonably optimistic the boilermen would return to work. However if they did not the F.O.L. would continue to stand behind them. The boilermen went on strike in Auckland last week over a claim for a registra-

tion allowance of 20c an hour.. The action has spread throughout industry in that city. A spokesman for N.Z. Sugar, whose Chelsea refinery closed last Friday night after boiler attendants walked off the job, said industrial sugar supplies were nearly exhausted. Retail supplies were not expected to last beyond the end of this week.

The dispute is now disrupting 10 companies and six others are under notice of industrial action. An employers’

spokesman said yesterday that all companies affected by the dispute were looking hard at suspending other workers who had nothing to do.

Engine drivers in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland have no plans at this stage for supporting their Auckland colleagues.

The chairman of the Canterbury - Otago - Southland branch of the union (Mr N. Neiman, of Mataura) said yesterday that his members would decide for themselves whether to take action in support of the strikers.

The union’s national council can apparently direct other branches to take action in support of the Aucklanders but this is not expected unless the majority of the branch favours such action. “Our members seemed quite happy with the 32 per cent wage increase we have been offered over the last two years: generally we have a pretty good relationship with our employers,” said Mr Neiman.