Oil workers strike on productivity claim

Press, 28 October 1981, Page 2

Oil workers strike on productivity claim

Caltex Oil Company storemen at the Lyttelton and Blenheim Road depots have been on strike twice in the last fortnight. The stoppages came after a one-week strike, between October 5 and 9. The eight workers went on strike when Caltex declined to negotiate a productivity agreement with them. After the weeklong strike the company held talks with the Labourers' Union but the talks broke down and the workers struck on Friday, October 23, and last Friday. The workers were also away from work yesterday, but while the Oil Industry Union of Employers said in a statement that the workers were on strike, the union says that the workers were locked out. “The company asked them to sign a letter saying that

they would not take any industrial action in the future,” said the secretary of the Canterbury branch of the Labourers’ Union, Mr R. A. Lowe. “When they did not sign they were locked out. They were there and they were prepared to do normal work, so they are not on strike.” The dispute would have no effect on Canterbury’s petrol supplies because all petrol came from the Mobil installation at Woolston, said Mr Lowe. The dispute meant that Caltex oil could not be loaded at the depots. The workers wanted a productivity agreement because there had been “major increases” in the work they were required to do in the last 12 months. One of the areas of increase in the work-load was brought about by the com-

pany’s arrangement with BP (N.Z.), Ltd, to do all BP’s oil blends. While the workers were not opposed to this, they felt that they should be recompensed in the form of a bonus or similar incentive agreement. The basic award wage for oil storemen is now $173.73, but conciliation talks for a new award will begin in Christchurch on November 19. The executive officer of the Oil Industry Union of Employers, Mr Stephen Marshall, said that the strikes were totally irresponsible, especially as the formal wage negotiations were due to start soon. The company had requested a return to normal work with the lifting of all restrictions, but the request had not been complied with.