Workers’ solidarity praised

Press, 2 May 1984, Page 6

Workers’ solidarity praised

PA Wellington The Federation of Labour yesterday pledged its support for union industrial action against the wage freeze. “The workers involved are showing determination and solidarity in applying industrial pressure against the continuation of the unjust wage freeze, and in demanding immediate recognition of their needs and their bargaining rights,” said the F.O.L.’s president, Mr W. J. Knox. “The average worker is being forced to bear the brunt of the current depression. Workers have no choice but to take industrial action,” he said. “All the workers are asking. for is the right to return bargaining. 4--

“This fundamental right has now been denied New Zealand workers for two and a half years,” he said. Mr Knox said that the F.O.L. would arrange a top level meeting of the bigger employers to find a common ground on wage fixing. “In the meantime we fully support unions putting pressure on employers so that they can approach the Government jointly on this issue.” Production at the N.Z. Steel mill at Glenbrook is expected to be severely disrupted today when most of the plant’s 1000 employees stage a 24-hour protest strike in support of the union movement’s wage campaign. The assistant secretary of the Auckland Engineers’

Union, Mr Peter Denny, said that the mill unions’ wage claims lodged with the company about 10 days ago were rejected by the company. He said a series of rolling* stoppages would be held by individual unions at the plant after the general mill strike today. “That further action is likely to begin later this week or early next week,” Mr Denny said. At the nearby N.Z. Steel construction site a strike by 160 riggers continued for the second day yesterday. A site contractor’s refusal to hire a rigger is the cause of that dispute. The riggers have been suspended by N.Z. Steel Development, Ltd. The ,67 cleaners on strike in Wlington since last

Thursday evening are on full pay. Mr Pat Kelly, national secretary of the Cleaners’ Union, confirmed that striking cleaners would not be suffering financially. Mr Kelly said the money would come out of collections organised by the Cleaners’ Union and by the Wellington Trades Council. More than 5000 working days have been lost in the Auckland province because of industrial action associated with the union wage campaign, according to figures produced yesterday by the Auckland Employers’ Association. . In a recent assessment of the campaign the association estimates that 5300 working days have been lost so far. The president o|i the

association, Mr Bill Jarvis, said that in addition 8700 days had been lost in voluntary unionism disputes giving an irrevocable loss of a total of 14,000 working days. “This means that $840,000 has been lost in wages — and the loss in production would be at least three or four times that amount. ‘This amount cannot be lost without effect somewhere. It may affect future employment opportunities; it may cause the employer to lose customers both in New Zealand and overseas. Mr Jarvie said that workers ought th write to the F.O.L. and tell it to get back to the table and resume the wage-fixing talks. “No company will break the law of the land,” he said.