Compensation sought

Press, 12 April 1984, Page 12

Compensation sought

The reasons given for the dismissal of a machinist from Betty Fashions were a “fabricated piece of fiction” the Arbitration Court was told in Christchurch yesterday. The Canterbury Clothing Trades Union sought lost wages and compensation from Mr G. Temesvari, trading as Betty Fashions, on behalf of Miss Angela Kohalmi for unfair dismissal.

The union representative, Mr Hugh McCrory, said that the dismissal resulted from Miss Kohalmi’s resistance to a four-day week, her inability to achieve “an impossible level of performance,” and because she had sought the advice of the union.

Mr Temesvari (Mr E. Bedo) claimed that Miss Kohalmi’s standard of work had not progressed to the quality required and that she was not willing to listen when he wanted to give her a last chance to improve her work.

The union sought $4624 in lost wages and another ?4000 as compensation for unfair dismissal.

Mr McCrory said Miss Kohalmi had worked for 11 months for Mr Temesvari before she was dismissed in March, 1983. She had been employed as a trainee machinist on the subsidised young persons training programme. Although she was a trainee, her competance was beyond that of a trainee. After several months she was made a supervisor over three other trainees, said Mr McCrory. In February, 1983, the factory began making women’s stretch corduroy trousers. Miss Kohalmi said she was able to make one or two pairs of trousers each hour. She and another worker, Miss Karen Buffham, were told by Mr Temesvari that they would need to make four pairs each hour.

They were later asked to consider working a four-day week. Miss Kohalmi said Mr Temesvari had told her he had “too much work” and wanted them to work a four-day week. When cross-examined by Mr Bedo, Miss Kohalmi

agreed it did not seem logical to be asked to work less if there was too much work. She and Miss Buffham said they did not want to work a four-day week. They could not afford to and did not understand why it was necessary. Mr Temesvari told them they would have to work four days each week anyway. Miss Kohalmi contacted Mrs Brenda Tibble, a union organiser, for advice on the matter. After talking to Mr Temesvari and the two girls, Mrs Tibble advised them to work a full five days.

About that time Mr Temesvari gave Miss Kohalmi one week’s written notice of dismissal. The letter said the standard of her ‘work was not good enough.

Miss Buffham was given one week’s written notice to improve her work or she would also be dismissed. Miss Kohalmi said that she had not been given any warnings to improve the standard of her work. Mr C. Webster, a manufacturing manager of Deane

Apparel, Ltd, told the Court that he would expect a fully trained and experienced machinist to make up to two pairs of trousers in one hour.

It would take up to 16 weeks to fully train someone to make trousers. Mr Webster said he would not expect anyone with as little experience as Miss Kohalmi to have to make up a complete pair of trousers. Miss Kohalmi had said that she had received only a few days instruction on making the trousers. Miss Buffham said that she was not aware of a large number of mistakes in Miss Kohalmi’s work. The only reason she could think of for her dismisal was that she had contacted the union. Mrs Tibble told the court that Mr Temesvari had been irate when she had visited him. He had said the workers were no good and that they were not earning enough money for him.

The Court, comprising Judge N. P. Williamson, Messrs T. R. Weir and E. W. J. Ball, adjourned the case until tomorrow.