Marsden unions given a list

Press, 29 May 1984, Page 1

Marsden unions given a list

PA Whangarei The Marsden Point Refinery Construction Consortium yesterday gave unions a list of conditions for a return of the .sacked workforce at the expansion site. Union sources say the proposals will be put to the 3000-member workforce at a meeting at a Whangarei rugby park today. No-one is saying what the company’s conditions are. They were put to union officials during talks at Marsden Point late yesterday. The Marsden Refinery Constructors’ workforce of 2000 was sacked on Friday

after striking on Wednesday over the return to the site of eight scaffolders. The other 100 people working on the site for subcontractors have not been sacked but are still on strike from Wednesday’s vote. The eight scaffolders incurred the wrath of the workforce because they broke union rules. However, after taking their case to court an Auckland High Court judge ordered that the men be allowed back on site. Meanwhile, at the adjacent refinery maintenance shutdown job, the boiler-

makers yesterday afternoon downed tools until an award agreement is ratified by the Wage Freeze Authority. Their action came at a 1 p.m. meeting of the 750 people employed on the special five-week maintenance job. . Engineers and riggers will meet today to consider action. The workers are annoyed at the time it is taking the authority, Mr Jim Dempsey, \ to consider the union-man-agement agreement. The Minister of Labour, Mr Bolger, earlier gave the two groups the go ahead to negotiate a new deal.