New proposal in dispute

Press, 24 June 1981, Page 2

New proposal in dispute

The Canterbury Rubber Worker’s . Union' will today consider ri counter-proposal put to it by the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company of New Zealand, Ltd, in an attempt to settle the dispute which has stopped tyre production at the Christchurch factory since June 15. The counter-proposal was made after a proposal was put to the company yesterday by the disputes committee of the Canterbury Trades Council.

The committee's spokesman, Mr P. E. Piesse, said that the committee proposed that the dispute be considered by an independent arbitrator, who . would, have power to make a binding decision from which there would be no right of appeal. The company agreed to

the idea of a decision being binding, but wanted . the terms of reference to be confined to the facts relating to the dismissal of a tyre worker rather than to include peripheral matters. Mr Piesse said that it would be up to the union to decide whether to accept the company’s counter-proposal. The union has argued that the context of the dismissal is important and should be taken into account in any arbitration.

The union’s secretary, Mr L. G. Morel, has said that th 6 worker who was dismissed was “entrapped” by the company, and that the reason why the union did not pursue normal grievance procedures was that the chairman of a disputes committee could not consider matters not directly bearing on the case.