Auck. strike threatens liquor supplies

Press, 13 November 1981, Page 4

Auck. strike threatens liquor supplies

PA Auckland Union leaders predicted last evening that the strike by storemen and drivers was drying up the supply of liquor to wine and spirits merchants in Auckland. If it does the dispute is likely to intensify next week. An organiser for the Auckland Storepersons’ and Packers’ Union, Mr Alan Broker, said the striking storemen and drivers would meet today to review their stance. “I would be very surprised if they return to work,” he said. \ Already a meeting of delegates of the Storepersons’ Union and the Northern Drivers’ Union has been arranged for next week to discuss the dispute. Mr Broker said that meeting would vote moral and financial support for the strikers. A Drivers’ Union organiser, Mr E. M. Delaney, said he thought an incident outside Allied Liquor at Parnell yesterday could disturb the men when they met today. Mr W. J. Ngapo, who was picketing the outlet at the time, was reported to have been hit by a delivery truck. The police were called and are investigating the matter. Mr Ngapo, a storeman and an acting organiser for the union, was apparently struck on the side by the slowmoving vehicle and knocked to the ground. He was taken to Auckland

Hospital with minor injuries and was kept under observation until early afternoon. He has been told to rest for two days. Pickets continued at other outlets and the unions continued their attempts to block deliveries. At some places people made a rush to buy supplies before there are shortages. The strike began a week ago when negotiations on the wines and spirits award broke down. The unions rejected an employers’ offer of a 10 per cent pay rise because they believed they had lost margins over general drivers and storemen they enjoyed 10 years ago. Other industrial disputes are simmering. Union and employer representatives in the Auckland car-assembly industry will meet today to try to resolve an argument over the form in which awards will be negotiated. At A.H.I. Metal Containers in Mount Wellington 400 employees have begun a work-to-rule and placed an overtime ban in protest against the company’s refusal to negotiate a new house agreement. Engineering workers and storemen at the Wix Cor-, poration (N.Z.), Ltd, have imposed bans because of a similar dispute. Drivers and labourers employed by the Papatoetoe City Council will continue their strike until Monday.