Police were delayed by traffic jam

Press, 1 June 1984, Page 6

Police were delayed by traffic jam

By

PATRICIA HERBERT

in Wellington The police were not at the Marsden Point site to supervise the pre-dawn arrival of the eight scaffolders on Wednesday because they were caught in a traffic jam. The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, said yesterday that the Cabinet had briefly discussed the scuffle in which picketers had attacked the van the men .were in and in which one of their number had been hurt, suffering minor leg injuries. The police turned up 10 minutes after the incident took place. Sir Robert said that he had asked for and received a report on why they were late. “They said that thev had misjudged the density of traffic and that it took longer to get from Whangarei than they had expected,” he said. “When they got there it was all over but they have assured us that it will not happen again and that they

will be present at Marsden Point on a 24-hour basis from now on,” Sir Robert said. Superintendent R. P. Silk, of Whangarei, confirmed that the police would be on the site round the clock until the dispute was resolved but would not comment on the numbers who would be on duty there. He said that the incident in which the picket was allegedly struck was being investigated, that witnesses had been interviewed, and that he believed that a complaint was being made. The eight scaffolders sparked the strike, which has brough the project to a virtual standstill and pushed it even further behind schedule. When the scaffolders refused to go along with a union ban on Saturday overtime the rest of the workforce walked out, an action that has resulted in mass dismissals.