Liquorland shop picket sacked

Press, 23 August 1983, Page 8

Liquorland shop picket sacked

PA Auckland The sacking of five Liquorland employees in Auckland yesterday could intensify a dispute at the company’s Onehunga outlet where a picket line has been maintained for seven weeks. The secretary of the Northern Storepersons and Packers’ Union, Mr M. C. Jackson, said that a meeting* of delegates in the wine and spirits industry would be held to discuss the dismissals, probably tomorrow. “Whether we escalate the dispute will depend on the employers’ attitude during the next two or three, days. But the sackings have produced another point, of difference between us and we will demand that those men be reinstated,” he said. The row began during the 24-hour “$2O wage-rise campaign” strike by members of the Hotel Workers’ Union over the management’s right to work through a Mr Jackson said the row*i been referred to

industrial mediator last week and agreement on all but two points had been reached. The union had been waiting to hear from the mediator when the five men were given notice of dismissal, effective on Friday. The employers’ advocate, Mr Keith Shaw, said, “The workers were abusive to clients and other workers and totally destroyed any chance of going back to work. “Long-standing customers have indicated that as long as those men are there they will not buy from the store. The police have also been involved and laid a number of charges against two picketers." The union had put itself above the law by not attending a disputes committee hearing, he said. “We will not be put in a . position of continually compromising and will not tolerate this any more. We have withdrawn our whole package of offers and withit drawn from the disputes said Mr Shaw.