'Way forward' in industrial relations

Press, 14 March 1980, Page 3

'Way forward' in industrial relations

PA Wellington A “way forward” for New Zealand’s industrial relations would involve giving workers a bigger say in decisionmaking, said the chairman of the Planning Council (Sir Frank Holmes) yesterday. Addressing the annual conference of the Harbours Association, Sir Frank said industrial relations were concerned with more than just income. “Working conditions, conditions of employment, changes in the organisation, and the nature of the work done are also of vital importance. So, ■: too, is the planning of recruitment, training, personal development, lay-offs, and retirement,” he said. “In these areas it is clear to the council that the way forward lies more through sharing of information and d e c i s i o n-making with employees, than through

. higher quality management |on the people’s side. , “We must be prepared to re-examine , old . institutions iand practices,” he said. “We I must dispel illusions that any new deal on butter or beef, or any big overseas loan ‘or maybe a bonanza such ats an oil strike, would ’see us right’.” One of the biggest challenges lay in industrial relations, said Sir Frank. It was hard to believe that anybody would want to see a continuation of the trends that had developed in New Zealand in the 19705. Sir Frank suggested the Government should copy other countries by producing a “strategy for progress” looking a few years ahead. The Norwegians, for example, had assessed prospects for the next three or four years, defined Government objectives, and outlined general policies. Sir .Frank felt the Government should aim to produce a I similar programme.