Refinery expansion agreement settled

Press, 15 July 1981, Page 40

Refinery expansion agreement settled

PA Auckland Major construction to expand the Marsden Point oil refinery is expected to begin before the end of this month. • The go-ahead on the SSSOM project has come after union and contractors' representatives reached the basis of a site agreement for the job during negotiations in Auckland. The contractors’ spokesman, Mr John Haslemore, who represents both jointventure consortiums involved. Badger-Chiyoda and the refinery constructors, said “substantial settlement”

had been reached on “money matters." These included agreement on pay rates, job conditions, and allowances for a workforce which, at the peak of construction, could number between 1200 and 1300. A number of "loose ends” still had to be tidied up. Mr Haslemore said, and these would be covered in further discussions during the next two or three weeks. Until then, no details of the site agreement would be made public. Union members still had to meet to endorse the proposed settlement.

i\ union spokesman, confirming the basis of agreement reached, said the unions would meet soon to consider details. Both spokesmen said that imminent worksite bans have been lifted. “I think a formal start to construction work is nowvery close," Mr Haslemore said. “There now appears to be no impedimment.” If. as expected, construction starts soon, it will be the start of the first of the country’s big energy projects for the 1980 s.