Shell oil to prosecute employees

Press, 5 July 1983, Page 8

Shell oil to prosecute employees

PA Wellington Shell Oil New Zealand, Ltd, has joined the Caltex and BP companies in deciding to prosecute employees for an alleged breach of the Industrial Relations Act. A Shell spokesman said yesterday that the company had filed papers in the District Court at Auckland, alleging that workers involved in an essential industry failed to give 14 days notice of strike action. He alleged that 16 engineers and 24 drivers stopped work initially for 36 hours in support of the Federation of Labour’s $2O campaign. This stoppage led to disputes concerning other issues. “We did not like to move against our workers but it got to the stage where we had to take some action because of the disruption to work,” the spokesman said. “There were disruptions to petrol and an import vessel

carrying chemicals being discharged.” Section 125 of the act requires workers in an essential industry to give 14 days notice of strike action. Last week the BP and Caltex companies decided to prosecute Wellington tanker drivers who also took part in industrial action supporting the F.O.L. compaign, under the same section of the act. About 200 soap workers, members of the Food Processing and Chemical Union and employed by Unilever New Zealand, Ltd, at Petone, struck yesterday in support of the campaign. Members of the Engine Drivers’ Union employed at Dunlop New Zealand’s Upper Hutt plant held a two-hour stop-work meeti- ’ yesterday afternoon. Boilermakers employed at General Motors Trentham plant will meet this morning.