Pizza firm fined $500

Press, 10 November 1983, Page 7

Pizza firm fined $500

Wellington reporter A fine of $5OO for contempt of court has been imposed on the Christchurch firm, Quality Pizzas, Ltd, by the Court of Appeal. Quality Pizzas has also been ordered to pay costs totalling $2500, but has had a writ of sequestration, issued against it by the High Court in Christchurch, quashed.

The case arose from a decision against the firm last year by the Arbitration Court, that it must hand over a list of staff members to the Canterbury Hotel, Hospital, Restaurant, Club, and Related Trade Employees Industrial Union of Workers.

The Court of Appeal found in a judgment of October 26 that the firm was in contempt, but that a monetary penalty would have been more appropriate than jfeuing the writ. The® firm’s managing

director, Mr R. F. Hyndman, furnished a list of employees of Quality Pizzas 15 minutes before the Court of Appeal sat yesterday to consider the question of monetary penalty. “It was not my intention to flout the law,” Mr Hyndman told the Court. “I am not using the issue as a platform for news media attention.

“It is not, and has never been, my intention to enter a battle with the courts. But I am fighting a battle of principle, and over the years it has cost my wife and myself a great deal. “I don’t want to be seen as radical, a nut case, idiot, crazy, or far out,” he said. “I am prepared to co-oper-ate with the courts rather than face bankruptcy. “It is a matter of principle to me and that is why I did not give the union the list. “But I believe I havejHone all I can to pursue’ this

principle without leading financial disaster to myself,” Mr Hyndman said.

For the Union, Mr S. G. Erber said that compliance at such a late stage had maximised costs to the union. There was also a suggestion that Mr Hyndman had received $30,000 in public gifts to fight his cause.

Mr Hyndman denied receiving anything like such a sum, although he agreed he had received a lot of moral support from the public. “I don’t see this as a loss,” he said afterwards. “The fact that Government has introduced legislation for voluntary unionism shows I have won.”

The Court of Appeal comprised Sir Owen Woodhouse, Mr Justice Cooke, and Mr Justice Richardson.

In judgment, Mr Justice Richardson said that the Court accepted that Mr

Hyndman was sincerely motivated, and welcomed his repentance and intention to co-operate with the courts. When threatened with monetary penalty two weeks ago, Mr Hyndman planned to send 'telegrams seeking support to the Queen, the President of the United States, and the Prime Minister, Mr Muldoon.

He had not heard from either President Reagan or the Queen, although he said he expected to hear from his 500-word telegram to the Queen as he was a British subject Mr Hyndman said he had sent a second telegram complaining to Mr Muldoon when the latter had indicated to “The Press” a lack of interest in the first telegram. He said Mr Muldoon had also formally acknowledged his telegram, but not his second.