F.O.L. puts limit on Southdown dispute

Press, 9 December 1980, Page 6

F.O.L. puts limit on Southdown dispute

PA Wellington The Federation of Labour yesterday moved to scale down tne closing of the Southdown freezing works by auvising freezing companies that all works except those run by the Auckland Farmers’ Freezing Co-operative could reopen. The decision, announced last evening by the F.O.L. secretary (Mr Ken Douglas) isolates the dispute to four Affco killing plants, including Southdown. Affco cool stores, which Mr Douglas said were not traditionally nvolved in meat industry disputes, were also removed from the union action. The F.O.L. decision to isolate the dispute is conditional upon the companies agreeing to an understanding that they will meet the F.O.L. and unions to discuss proposals fo r a consultation procedure to cover rationalisation or reorganisation programmes. Mr Doug’as said the F.O.L. would also meet

Affco representatives to discuss a formula to resolve the Southdown dispute as soon as possible. The three-point union package was agreed to by a meeting in Wellington yesterday of representatives of the F.0.L.. the Auckland Freezing Workers’ Union, and the Auckland Trades Council. Its package is a response to an Affco proposal, which amongst other things, offered an unspecified number of jobs. A union delegation met the Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger) last evening. Afterwards Mr Douglas said the latest step was an attempt to reduce the dispute to the essence of the argument and move towards a full settlement. He said Affco’s offer to the unions covered some new positions and the unions wanted consnltation as soon as possib'e to cover those areas. “It was not a comnlete rejection of the principles of our propo c al. It was a reforming of some of them and we will be trying to get a result at the

meeting,” Mr Douglas said. Mr Bolger said he welcomed the union initiative as “the first step” towards solving the freezing works dispute in the Auckland area. “What we now have is a dispute reduced substantially in its effect and a commitment by both parties to continue discussions on unresolved matters and, hopefully, we can bring that one together fairly quickly,” he said. The Minister said he believed there was a "real willingness” on both sides to resolve the dispute. Mr Bolger said Affco would “understandably” he concerned that it had been singled out for continued union action. However, its decision at Southdown had triggered the dispute and it was annronriate that other companies could no” r resume work. The Government was acting as an “assistant” during the dispute but had made. ’clear its concern that the cool store stoppage was having an effect on dairy exports, he said.