Jibe upsets loaders

Press, 12 February 1982, Page 4

Jibe upsets loaders

Loaders at Christchurch Airport have called on the chairman of Air New Zealand, Mr R. A. Owens, to withdraw remarks he made at a meeting of the Auckland Institute of Exporters in Auckland this week. Mr Owens was reported to have said that watersiders looked like “sweated labour” alongside some Air New Zealand employees, and that' he wondered if he could resign and take up a job as a loader. If some workers did not get their smoko they got half an hour double-time, he said.

The Canterbury branch of the Engineers’ Union, on behalf of loaders at Christchurch Airport, said yesterday that the loaders were incensed by the re-

marks attributed to Mr Owens.

“Recently Mr Owens threatened staff who were disloyal to the company or who spoke to the press about the company’s problems, with dismissal,” the union said. Therefore Mr Owens should resign immediately, it said.

Mr Owens has been asked to withdraw the remarks, apologise publically, and to meet union members so they can explain to him some of their recent sacrifices made to try to help the company out of its difficulties.

The union’s branch secretary, Mr R. J. Todd, said that the idea of getting half an hour of double-time if a smoko was missed was not known at Harewood.