Union lifts meat ban

Press, 15 August 1980, Page 1

Union lifts meat ban

The national export meat load-out ban will be lifted from 10 a.m. today. The Australian dispute will be referred to arbitration.

The ban was imposed in support of six Australian trade unionists arrested for obstructing the police, and others served with writs to appear in the Federal Court, charged under the Trade Practices Act. The charges alleged that by blacklisting several carrying firms the unionists affected the activities of a third party, Thomas Borthwick and Sons, Ltd. Those arrested were meat workers trying to picket the wharves at Portland, Victoria, where live sheep were being taken to ships for export to Kuwait.

The national secretary of the Meat Workers’ Union (Mr A. J. Kennedy) said last evening that the Federal secretary of the Australasian Meat Workers’ Union (Mr F. Hall) had sent a telegram saying the involvement of New Zealand union members was no longer essential.

Mr Hall said the Australian union was deeply appreciative of the solidarity of the New Zealand union. Borthwicks had referred the matter to the Arbitration Commission.

Mr Kennedy said the load-out ban would be lifted from 10 a.m. today to enable the orderly resumption of work after members were officially advised from their branch offices. The ban had achieved its aim as the New Zealand action had influenced the employers’ shift from the civil courts to arbitration, Mr Kennedy said.