Rangiora drivers will have to meet again

Press, 1 June 1984, Page 2

Rangiora drivers will have to meet again

Industrial reporter Rangiora members of the Canterbury Drivers’ Union who called for special union meetings within 28 days to consider a rule about the removal of union offjcers will be asked to attend another meeting. The executive of the union met yesterday for the first time since the Rangiora resolution last Friday. Instead of organising special meetings, it decided to call another meeting of the Rangiora drivers. The union’s secretary, Mr Peter Liggett, said that the meeting would be to ascertain the intention of the original resolution. He said that the resolution was lacking. It is believed that the resolution, while calling for special meetings in accordance with rule 13 of the union’s rules, did not specify which officers it wanted removed, nor did it state the business to be discussed at the special meetings. Another problem was that a second resolution specified that the special meetings should be held at only three centres, while some drivers in centres other than Rangiora believe that to be fair the meetings should be held in the same places as halfyearly meetings. Mr Liggett said that the deficiencies were such that the executive could not comply with them, hence the need for the further meeting. He said it could be some weeks before the meeting could be arranged. It would be attended by the union’s solicitor and its auditor, who would be present to answer questions about the balance-sheet. Dissatisfaction about items in the half-yearly balance-sheet, which showed that the union would pay the legal costs associated

with the Patrick O’Boyle High Court case, came up at both the big Christchurch half-yearly meeting of drivers and at the Rangiora meeting, although drivers at the other 17 union meetings were apparently happy with it. One of the two men who have been campaigning for the removal of Mr Liggett from office, Mr Daryl Collins, a former president, said that he and a second union member, Mr Ken Taylor, had tried to talk to Mr Liggett after the executive meeting but had been told that they would have to get an appointment Mr Collins said that the calling of another Rangiora meeting was just a delaying tactic and was unacceptable. Mr Collins said that while the main resolution did not spell out the purpose of the special meetings it was clear what the purpose was because it cited rule 13, which was concerned solely with the removal of officers. It was also made clear by the mover of the motion when he spoke to it, and that should be in the minutes. It was “very strange” that a union executive should overrule the unanimous decision of a general meeting, he said.