Writs served on unionists in Musgrove dispute

Press, 10 May 1980, Page 1

Writs served on unionists in Musgrove dispute

Musgrove Bros, Ltd, yesterday served writs on four trade-union leaders seeking a restraining order and damages against them. The matter will be heard in the High Court on May 15.

The surprise move came only a day after a compulsory conference had been ordered in the protracted dispute, bringing to an end industrial- action which had threatened seriously to affect Twizel; The four ■ who were served with writs are the president and secretary of the Canterbury Trades Council, Messrs W. R. Cameron and L. G. Morel respectively; the secretary of the Canterbury branch of the Labourers’ Union, Mr R. A. Lowe; and an organiser of the Canterbury

Drivers’ Union, Mr L.’ Burns. The writs seek an order to stop any industrial action or interference in the activities of Musgrove Bros and damages for alleged losses incurred by the company during fueldelivery bans imposed by the Trades Council from May 2 to May 8. The ban was imposed in support of a strike by Musgrove Bros workers seeking a redundancy agreement. Mr Cameron, who returned from the annual conference of the Fed-

eration of Labour in Wellington yesterday, said he had spent considerable time arranging the moves designed to bring the Trades Council and the company together and the terms of reference for the compulsory conference, which will begin at 10 a.m, on May 13. The serving of the writs illustrated the “impossible situation” of dealing with a man such as Mr G. G. Vickers, the managing director of Musgrove Bros.

“I believe he disregarded the advice of the Employers’ Association in going ahead with the writs,” said Mr Cameron. ‘‘Unless he withdraws the writs forthwith there is no way the dispute will be settled.” Mr Cameron said the Trades Council had given an assurance that all bans on the company would be lifted and that the company’s workers would return to work on Monday. The bans had been lifted yesterday. Mr Vickers said last evening that no action would be sought on the writs while the compulsory conference was on. Asked if they might be withdrawn, he said that that was a matter that would have to be sorted out on Tuesday. The company had been working on the legal action and had had to make a decision on it. That decision had been made on Thursday evening. The company had no intention of inflaming the dispute but it had to protect itself. . The director of the Canterbury Employers’ Association (Mr N. M. West) said he had not been asked for advice on the legal action and had not given any. Asked how it could affect efforts to reach a settlement, he said it would have no worse effect than the reported decision of the half-yearly meeting of the Canterbury Drivers’ Union yesterday to discipline five members who had returned to work for Musgrove Bros during the strike in spite of an agreement between the parties that the five would not be harrassed. Injunctions against trade unionists are rare in New Zealand. The best known case in recent history is that involving the Auckland unionist, Mr G. H. Andersen, in 1974. His arrest led to widespread industrial- action and his release from prison after two nights.