Firms fear closing

Press, 28 June 1983, Page 1

Firms fear closing

PA Auckland A strike by cement workers which had forced all seven of Auckland’s ready-mix concrete firms to close and suspend employees was hurting only the workers and their families, said the president of the Auckland Provincial Employers’ Association, Mr Peter Johnson, yesterday. If the dispute was not settled this week more than 1000 workers could be suspended, Mr Johnson said. Cement workers will meet today to review their action which is in support of the Federation of Labour campaign for a wage rise of $2O a week. At the press conference to explain the employers’ point of view were Mr John Simpson, the Auckland president of the Ready Mix Concrete

Association; Mr Michael Lough, vice-chairman of the Auckland branch of the Contractors’ Federation; Mr B. A. Hardy, of the Cement Users’ association; and Mr John Dyer, executive director of the Auckland Master Builders’ Association. “If you put too much pressure on, companies will fold,” said Mr Johnson. He criticised the Auckland Trades Council president, Mr G. H. Andersen, who is also a prominent member of the Socialist Unity Party. Mr Johnson said that the campaign was part of a strategy Mr Andersen made public about four years ago. Mr Andersen, according to Mr Johnson, is said .to have written that he wanted to unite workers and “destroy the bosses”; did not

believe in big business; wanted Government ownership of business; and wanted to make New Zealand a Communist country. Referring to Mr Andersen’s union-political role, Mr Johnson said that there would be industrial trouble as long as people such as Mr Andersen controlled the day-to-day livelihood of workers. It was time, said Mr Johnson, that rank-and-file workers told Mr Andersen and other “union bosses” where they stood. Mr Andersen said later that Mr Johnson’s comments typified the lack of regard employers had for the trade union delegates and workers’ intelligence. He could not recall the document of four years ago quoted by Mr Johnson.