Tyre factory’s strike causes lost orders

Press, 23 June 1981, Page 1

Tyre factory’s strike causes lost orders

The week-old strike at the Firestone tyre factory in Christchurch is starting to hurt the company. The works manager. Mr A. W. Mellema said that General Motors and the Ford Motor Company, both in the North Island, had cancelled tyre oi'ders for the rest of this month and for next month. General Motors had applied for a licence to import radial tyres of a special size made in New Zealand only by Firestone. Other tyres used by the motor car assembly plants were being supplied by Dunlop N.Z., Ltd. from Wellington, and Reidrubber from Auckland. The company was also losing exports, which comprised 10 to 15 per cent of normal production. Mr Mellema said that Firestone had enough tyres in stock for New Zealand motorists for the first two weeks of the strike.

Firestone rubber workers went on strike a week ago in ■ support of a rubber worker ' who was dismissed for alleged faulty workmanship. * Twenty-one other workers 7 whose work had run out - were suspended by the com- 2 pany last Friday. 3 No further suspensions * would occur until at least the Z end of this week, when the * position would be reviewed. ' said the industrial relations - manager, Mr G. Lea. * Four members of the * Canterbury Trades Council - disputes committee met “ company officials yesterday. The secretary ’ of the ~ Canterbury Rubber Workers' Union. Mr L. G. Morel, who is secretary of the Trades Council, but was not in the delegation which visited the factory. said that the" disputes committee would - try at first to resolve the" dispute, but if it- failed, itwould have to stand by itsaffiliated union.