U.S. support base dispute to mediator?

Press, 10 November 1983, Page 7

U.S. support base dispute to mediator?

Christchurch trade unions are stepping up action to try to ensure that New Zealand civilians employed at the United States Naval Support Force base at Christchurch Airport are given union protection. The Canterbury Hotel Workers’ Union has set in motion procedures under the Industrial Relations Act and under one of its awards which would force the employing authority to a disputes hearing before a Christchurch mediator, Mr G. M. Teen. >

Mr Teen has tentatively booked November 17 and 18 for the meeting of a disputes committee. But the problem facing

the union is that it is getting what its union secretary, Mr G. D. Harding, said was “the run around” by United States officials. Mr Harding said he had been referred from one official to another, in Christchurch and Wellington, when he tried to establish who the “employer” was, so that he could send advice of the tentative dates for the disputes committee hearing. All employers with workers doing the sort of work covered by the awards are bound to conform to the award conditions, but the United States Navy had maintained consistently that it was exempted on the grounds of embassy immu-

nity. The New Zealand Government had ruled this out, but had said that the United States Navy was exempted on the grounds that it did not employ civilians for “pecuniary gain.” Christchurch unions want to test this in the Arbitration Court if necessary, but would prefer to solve it out of court. “We could go to the Court and we are prepared to do that to test what authority they have on New Zealand soil,” said Mr Harding. Last week’s meeting of the Canterbury Trades Council urged unions involved with the support force to withdraw all

goodwill until the United States Navy met its industrial obligations. The council’s secretary, Mr G. G. Walker, said yesterday that officers of the unions would probably meet next week to discuss the action. Mr Harding said that the withdrawal of goodwill would have no immediate effect, but if any of the unions became involved in an industrial dispute it could mean that the usual dispensation granted to the base might be withdrawn. Mr Harding is aware that if the unions decide to take the United States Navy to the Arbitration Court it would mean a delay of about six months.