Feltex strike in fifth day

Press, 24 February 1984, Page 1

Feltex strike in fifth day

Three hundred and fifty Feltex carpet workers will meet again this morning and are expected to continue into their fifth day of a strike in support of a closed shop at the Christchurch mill.

A spokesman for Feltex said from Auckland late yesterday afternoon that there had been continuing discussions about the dispute, but had no further comment.

The national secretary of the Wooilen Workers’ Union, Mr Paddy O'Flanagan, said from Auckland that the union still wanted the dispute settled as soon as possible. Many telegrams of support and some donations had been received, but the union had not begun an appeal to support the striking workers. The union had tried to arrange a meeting with the man at the centre of the dispute, Mr Trevor Brott, on Wednesday but Mr Brott had refused, said Mr O’Flanagan. It was the resignation of

Mr Brott from the union that led to a strike by the other carpet workers’ last Monday.

Colleagues of Mr Brott describe him as likeable. He is a former Linwood rugby league player and is still active as a referee. His wife. Janette, is a member of the executive of the Canterbury Cleaners' Union and has not resigned from her union. Mr Brott has resigned because he says the Feltex workers by voting for a closed shop earlier this month acted illegally. Mr O'Flanagan sees it differently.

“It is not illegal in my opinion to vote for a closed shop. It is only illegal when you enforce it,” he said.

“I have a lot of admiration for the man himself, though I personally disagree with his decision,” said Mr O'Flanagan.

The union's view was that voluntary unionism had been put to the test a few years ago with the Government’s ballots.

“They tested it then and it was rebuffed. We feel that if

you make a democratic decision in a mill, everyone has got to agree. That is the view most would share.” said Mr O'Flanagan. Mr O'Flanagan and the union's sub-branch president. Mr A W. Evers, confirmed yesterday that Mr Brott had been dismissed by the company in 1977 in a dispute in the spinning department over extra work loads He was one of four spinners who had been dismissed for refusing to do work considered by the union to be outside the normal range of duties. The union supported the spinners by placing a ban on eight spinning machines at the mill. The company suspended 27 other workers. When the dispute was taken to a mediator the union won reinstatement for the four workers and payment for the time lost by the suspended workers.

Mr Evers said that this support from the union had been mentioned to Mr Brott after he resigned, but it had not changed his mind over his resignation.