Letter swap on refinery settlement

Press, 19 February 1983, Page 1

Letter swap on refinery settlement

PA Auckland Letters were exchanged yesterday between the JV2 construction consortium and the Federation of- Labour's president. Mr W. J. Knox, setting out their- respective views on the Marsden Point strike settlement. The chairman of JV2 steering committee. Mr Graham Hamilton, said the letter putting the company’s view would now be in the hands of Mr Knox. Mr Knox believes that JV2 will take another look at the New Zealand workers it has refused to employ.

But the Prime Minister. Mr Muldoon, said the company emerged from the negotiations without being obliged to hire local riggers that it did not want. JV2 is adamant that it will

not reconsider the three riggers it has already rejected for working on the oil refinery expansion project. Marsden Point workers have agreed to return to work on Monday. The New Zealand Refining Company. Ltd. appears to have shelved its earlier warnings that the project might have to be abandoned if industrial troubles continued. The Auckland Clerical Workers' Union has dissociated itself from the actions of JV2 clerical staff who took part in Wednesday's rally for secret ballots before strikes. The union, in a statement ’ supporting the F.O.L.'s attempts to resolve the industrial problems at Marsden Point, said its rules provided for secret ballots when strike action was contemplated.