Secret ballot to test ban on reporter

Press, 2 March 1984, Page 4

Secret ballot to test ban on reporter

Journalists at “The Press” will hold a secret ballot to reaffirm the black ban placed on copy from the Timaru reporter, Mr D. W. Hodge, who has resigned from the New Zealand Journalists’ Union. The decision was made by the chapel at a meeting yesterday evening. It was in response to an application this week from The Christchurch Press Company to the Arbitration Court to order a secret ballot of union members employed at the newspaper. Chapel delegate, Ms Karren Beanland, said that the union had no reason to hide from a secret ballot, and that chapel members did

not believe that valuable Arbitration Court time should be wasted on the company’s request. It had always been the union’s practice to hold secret ballots on important issues, she said. The ballot will be held at a meeting next Thursday in the Canterbury Public Library and the Labour Department will be asked to provide a scrutineer. Ms Beanland said that all journalists’ union members employed at “The Press” would be expected to- take part, including those working at branch offices in Wellington, Nelson, Greymouth and other areas.

Because the company had sought a secret ballot through the Arbitration Court, the chapel would expect it to pay all reasonable travel and accommodation expenses for those who had to come to Christchurch to vote, she said. However, if the company refused to meet these costs, the union would. The ban on Mr Hodge’s copy, imposed by a substantial majority on February 21, was still in place, Ms Beanland said. Expressions of support for the chapel’s stand were coming in from other unions and from journalists all around the country, she said.