Discipline to be discussed

Press, 8 May 1980, Page 6

Discipline to be discussed

- Christchurch truck drivers and the drivers of taxis, ambulances, and private company buses who are members of the Canterbury Drivers' Union will hold their half-yearly meeting tomorrow morning. The Midland suburban services will stop while the bus drivers hold their stopwork meeting from 11.30 a.in. The other drivers will meet in the Town Hall at 8 a.m., and drivers in outlying districts of Canterbury will meet in a fortnight. The main item of business is likely to be consideration of a disciplinary rule, pro|viding for penalties for misconduct. Such rules are optional and are ■ permitted under the Industrial Relations Act provided- they are not in breach of ordinary law or considered too oppressive or unreasonable. The Registrar of Industrial Unions must approve the rule change before it be : comes valid.

Among the unions which have disciplinary rules is the Journalists’ Union, which has a rule providing for a fine of up to a week’s wages, which for a top journalist could be $3OO.

The Journalists’ Union rules provide for fines to be imposed on members guilty of improperly divulging the business of the union, acting against the objects of the union, refusing to comply

with the provisions of any lawful resolution of ' the union, knowingly breaching an award, for misappropriating union funds.

The Drivers’ Union fined certain Timaru members two days’ gross pay last year when they refused to take part in the 24-hour national stoppage called by the Federation of Labour.

It also expelled a member, who has subsequently brought an action in the Supreme Court agairftt the union, seeking a declaration that the expulsion was invalid and contrary to the union’s rules, and a breach of natural justice.

Mr Justice Cook has reserved his decision in the case.