Voluntary unionism brings four strikes

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 4

Voluntary unionism brings four strikes

PA Wellington Workers of at least four different companies are at present on strike over voluntary unionism as members resign their union membership. Unionists at three northern sites walked off the job yesterday while 160 Engineers’ Union members ended their third day on strike at Mount Wellington, Auckland, in protest against a process worker resigning his union membership. In some of yesterday’s action, 34 members of the Freezing Workers’ Clerical Union walked off the job at the Auckland Farmers

Freezing Company’s works at Horotiu, after a fellow clerk had resigned from the union. The decision to strike after the clerk, believed to be a woman, had resigned from the union was taken by clerical staff at a stopwork meeting yesterday morning. Another stop-work meeting will be held this morning.

As a result killing has stopped at the works. Another 42 factory workers struck yesterday at the Aspak margarine factory in East Tamaki after a member of the Food Process Workers’ Union had resigned although it is now

thought that the worker may have agreed to rejoin the union. The factory workers will meet to discuss the matter today. Production workers at the Toyota plant at Thames also struck yesterday and intend remaining on strike until Monday morning after a colleague’s resignation from the Auckland Engineers’ Union. Union officials there hope that the worker, believed to be a woman, might reconsider her decision. Company officials at the Comalco extrusions plant at Mount Wellington are getting worried about the re-

percussions of a three-day strike by workers there. The general manager, Mr J. P. Williams, said that export shipments to the Middle East and Asia were being jeopardised while the employees, who will meet on Monday, remained on strike. The cause of another strike, at Pacific Steel, Ltd’s, Otahuhu plant is an undisclosed domestic issue and has so far affected half of the work-force. Of the 800 workers, 200 Engineer’s Union members are on strike and another 200 suspended as work has run out.