Milkman to lose licence

Press, 9 June 1980, Page 5

Milkman to lose licence

PA Wellington j A Karori milk vendor, Mr G.: M. Murdoch, will have his! licence revoked because the! New Zealand Milk Board’s' vendor review committee! thinks he is “not a fit and proper person” for the job. Mr Murdoch, the Wellington secretary of the National! Union of Milk Vendors, will: probably appeal against the decision. The board’s latest move underlined a long history of clashes between Mr Murdoch and the board. Mr Murdoch’s union, an affiliate of! the Federation of Labour,' re-1 cently brought the F.O.L. in-' to the dispute. The latest incident was indirectly prompted by the! genera! manager of the Wellington City Council’s milk denartment AfrN.

i Looking tor alternatives to [resolve an earlier dispute indvolving Mr Murdoch. Mr! q Brooks wrote to the Milk! ■! Board urging it to come up! ijwith solutions that did not! !i involve the milk department. J In his letter, Mr Brooks • said he was concerned ■ about possible industrial I action, mentioned to him at Ha meeting with Mr Murdoch. : The board decided Mr Murdoch was making unwar- ■ ranted threats, and brought I him before the review com- • mittee. The board’s general man’s ager (Mr G. MacPherson) has [released the committee’s de[cision, which was handed to [Mr Murdoch. The decision ■ was that the vendor’s licence! jibe revoked to take effect! ■ ’ from July 31. :| In giving its reasons fori Jthe decision, the committee!

i, says Mr Murdoch had appeared before the board or jone of its committees on j other occasions and was J given warnings. i The board had determined in accordance with the Milk Marketing Order, 1968, to adjust margins payable to Mr Murdoch, who refused to accept the decisions and made statements which!

caused the Wellington City Corporation concern that the supply of milk to the city could’ be put. in jeopardy. Mr Murdoch had also failed or refused to pay for milk supplied to him.

The committee was “of the opinion that Mr G. M. Murdoch is not a fit and proper I person to continue to hold 'an approval to carry on the [business of a milk vendor.” ! Mr Murdoch said he would i probably so to the Milk An-

I peal Authority, although hej , did not have much hope fori ■ a successful appeal. [ j The F.O.L. had become in-

volved, and had tried to ob-[ tain a mediator in the dispute, but by the time a! mediator had agreed it was' too late to forestall the review committee’s decision. |