Talks today will decide future of fuel supplies

Press, 22 November 1980, Page 1

Talks today will decide future of fuel supplies

Petrol supplies in . Christchurch are slowly getting back to normal after the week-long stoppage by oil-tanker drivers. However, there could be further disruptions to petrol supplies if talks between the employers and the Drivers’, Union .and the Labourers’ ’Union *on the crucial redundancy issue are not . successful. The talks will. be held ■ in .Wql-y lington today.'??: ' •/ .* Most petrol ..stations in Christchurch had some petrol by late yesterday afternoon, said the' chair-

man, of the service station section of the Motor Trade Association, Mr B. B. Halliday. .The demand for petrol had been steady, but there had been no panic buying. -More than 125 of Christchurch’s 140 petrol stations had run dry by Thursday, said Mr Halliday. Most had ' received a “token fill” . after the drivers started work at 5 a.m. yesterday. Deliveries were on a first-dry, first-, delivery basis. « • However, even if there was no further industrial action .‘by the drivers, some petrol stations coula run dry’ again before their next delivery. If there was further industrial action.

petrol stations would be “back to step one.” The secretary of the Canterbury branch of the Drivers’ Union, Mr P. R. Liggett, said the outcome of the compulsory conference would determine whether there would be any further stoppages by the drivers. r, The drivers demand a j/. 35-hour week so that f. -work .within the industry can' be spread as a means of preventing redundancies. They will hold a stop-work meeting on Monday morning to discuss the outcome of the conference.

cuineieiivc. “As far as I am aware, the employers have not made any. representation to. our people in relation to resolving the dispute,” said Mr Liggett. “There will have to be some changes by the employThe 35 oil. storemen who went out on a 48- ■ hour strike on Wednesday, and Thursday after they were suspended for refusing to work overtime and. implementing a load-out ban, will also meet on Monday to discuss the result of the conference.

The secretary of the Canterbury branch of the Labourers’ Union, Mr R. A. Lowe, said there was a possibility that the storemen would take further action because of the breakdown in their award negotiations. As well as the 35-hour week, they ask for changes to the present wage grading system, an

allowance for handling hoses in tanker-discharge stations, a container payment, and a service holiday after five years.

Mr Lowe said the storemen were unhappy about threats made by the employers that the conference would be stopped if they did not work on Saturday.'Some workers had made other arrangement's, but they . would probably work so that thfe conference could go ahead. “If we can reach a set-

tlement today and get an assurance that the employers are prepared to go back into negotiation in a meaningful manner we would look at it,” said Mr Lowe. "But if that does not happen your guess is as good as mine,” he said.

The executive officer of the Oil Industry Union of Employers, Mr S. Marshall, said from Wellington yesterday that today’s meeting was • concerned only with the redundancy issue. If that was settled, negotiations on the two unions’ awards would continue.

Indications from throughout New Zealand were that the meeting could come to a positive solution, he said. The fact that the oil workers returned to work as soon as the conference was called showed that they hoped the talks would resolve the matter.

“The employers are going there with the intention of negotiating by discussion and amicable agreement,” he said. “The fact that the unions have threatened strike action if | the matter is not resolved is something we are not taking notice of.” Christchurch and Timaru were probably the worst hit. because drivers ; had returned to work only ; yesterday, while in other parts of New Zealand they • had resumed deliveries on Wednesday or Thursday. ! Mr Marshall expected j that petrol supplies would I be back to normal by I Tuesday or Wednesday of | next week. '