Union seeks wage freeze exemption

Press, 13 September 1982, Page 6

Union seeks wage freeze exemption

PA Wellington The Early Childhood Workers Union wants the Minister of Labour, Mr Bolger, to grant it an exemption from the wage freeze regulations so inaugural agreements with individual employers can be negotiated. The decision was made at the first national conference of the union, one of New Zealand's youngest, in Wellington yesterday. Its president, Mrs Helen Cook, said that Mr Bolger would be approached this week.

“We will be drawing his attention to an Arbitration Court decision involving our union and the Hamilton Day Care Centres’ Trust," she said.

In that dispute, a conciliator endeavoured to set up a

conciliation council on July 19 — with the approval of the trust and the union — but a representative for the Auckland Employers’ Association objected.

The Arbitration' Court said a conciliation council could have been established, but because of amendment number two to the freeze regulations, imposed on August 21, agreement could not now be reached.

“The wage price freeze is most inappropriate for our union ’as the pay of child care workers is so low,” said Mrs Cook. “As no awards exist for childcare workers we feel we should be exempt. “We need the services of a conciliation council, because w’e are starting from no formalised conditions of work," Mrs Cook said.