U.K. riggers back F.O.L. on importing of workers

Press, 11 February 1983, Page 1

U.K. riggers back F.O.L. on importing of workers

PA Whangarei The 16 British riggers imported to work on the $1 billion Marsden Point oil refinery will join the president of the Federation of Labour, Mr W. J. Knox, and other union officials in a meeting this morning with riggers at present on the site. This was the outcome of talks between the British riggers and Mr Knox late yesterday. Almost the entire workforce of 1300 walked off the job yesterday morning as the 16 riggers were brought on to the site. The new arrivals were put through the normal

induction course and then met Mr Knox at 1 p.m. The industrial relations manager for the contracting consortium, JV2, Mr Ron Richards, quoted Mr Knox as saying the British riggers were in support of the F.O.L. and Labourers’ Union policy on the importation of overseas workers, but Mr Knox could not be reached to confirm this. Mr Richards said that the balance of the work-force was to return to work this morning. Normally new arrivals on the site go through the induction course in the morning,

receive equipment from the stores, then meet the foreman and start work. Only the induction part of the procedure was carried out yesterday and the 16 British riggers were taken by bus to their nearby single men’s quarters. They declined to talk to reporters. The 16 Britons are part of the first batch of 26 riggers JV2 plans to bring to the site this month. It is not known when the remaining 10 will arrive. Late last year the Arbitration Court ruled that JV2 could import up to 90 riggers from now to the end of June. The full w’ork-force turned up for work yesterday but workers started to leave as ■word spread that the British riggers had started work. The consortium says it has to employ overseas riggers because they have the technical experience necessary for the job. The Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon, said yesterday that men on the Marsden refinery expansion site were becoming irritated by delays on the job. There was a certain amount of irritation with the constant interruptions and loss of pay, and Mr Knox had not got quite the enthusiastic reception he was expecting at his last visit, Mr Muldoon said.

Mr Muldoon will visit the site next week under a longstanding arrangement.