Govt Marsden bill passed after picket violence on site

Press, 13 June 1984, Page 1

Govt Marsden bill passed after picket violence on site

PA Wellington A bill forcing construction staff back to work today on New Zealand’s oil refinery was passed by Parliament last evening amid conflicting claims about a Federation of Labour initiative to end the dispute.

The F.O.L. yesterday presented the Government with five proposals for an immediate return to work. The proposals, released by the F.O.L. last evening, included the call for an independent inquiry into industrial relations on the Marsden Point refinery’s 51.65 billion expansion job. The expansion site was the scene of a clash with pickets yesterday morning when two men were injured. A sub-contractor’s vehicle with three men in it was attacked by pickets wielding pieces of wood. The fibre-glassing subcontractors were the first to try to get back on to the site. The injured men were

treated for minor injuries on site and laid complaints with the police. The side windows of their vehicle were smashed and panels damaged in the brief incident. The driver, Mr Darran Hewitt, suffered cuts and bruises about the head. Mr Roger Parsons, who was sitting at the passenger window in the small truck, had similar injuries. “It all happened very suddenly,” Mr Hewitt said. “We were approaching the picket line of about four or five men when suddenly lumps of wood came through the side windows. “There was no way I was going to wait round and get killed. I took off over the barricade they had built and pushed this big hunk of fabricated steel right through the gates in front of us. “If there had been anyone in front of the truck they would have been run over,” he said. Chief Inspector Peter Wiersma confirmed yesterday that a complaint of

assault had been laid with the police.

included assurance that site agreements would be adhered to and victimisation of eight scaffolders would end. “On the face of it that looked a very responsible position,” he said. “Unfortunately late tonight I was advised by Mr (Ken) Douglas (F.O.L. secretary), that they were options. At that point the whole thing became a farce.” But Mr Lange said, “It is not a question of options at all. The bulk of the terms were agreed.” The Government, he said, had a desire to “make a political mile” out of the dispute rather than seize the issue. Mr Lange said he had telephoned the F.O.L. and said the Labour Party did not want to see any more picket line violence. “The F.O.L. is forthwith issuing a direction to those unions at Marsden Point to withdraw any suggestion of a picket at Marsden Point. That is the initiative of the Labour movement.” Mr Lange said a meeting on Friday at Marsden Point had voted overwhelmingly

for a return to work, but the Government's legislation to force a return to work, which would require each worker to sign a form adhering to the site agreement, would mean “the last malcontent could hold the rest to ransom." The Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, said Mr Lange was on the horns of a dilemma. Mr Lange knew the public wanted the bill passed to have the dispute cleared up, Sir Robert said.

windows in me venicie had been smashed by a fist and with a piece of 'timber, he said. Broken glass had injured two men in the vehicle. Police inquiries into the incident were continuing. Mr Wiersma said police were not at the project gate at the time of the incident but that policemen were in a patrol car nearby. However, police reinforcements have been sent to Whangarei from many parts of New Zealand, including a detachment from Christchurch. The head of the Christchurch police, Deputy Assistant Commissioner George Twentyman, would not divulge the numbers sent from Christchurch. It is believed to be about 30. Mr Twentyman said the policemen would be away for as long as required. The Whangarei police said the eight scaffolders at the centre of the dispute had been escorted safely on to the site again yesterday through an “orderly” picket of about 140 oeonle.

"He knows the F.O.L. doesn’t want the bill and he has obligations to both the public and the F.0.L.”

Sir Robert said that after the F.O.L.’s offer yesterday afternoon the Government had concluded it was pos-' sible the F.O.L. could take over the matter.

It was decided the Government would not proceed with the bill “and that we would give the F.O.L. until 2.30 p.m. (today), when Parliament was to sit, to tidy up the situation." But Mr Thomson had found that the message the To page 8

In Parliament last evening, the Government accused the F.O.L. of going back on its proposals in talks yesterday. Because of this, the Acting Minister of Labour, Mr Thomson, told the House, the Government would go ahead with the legislation. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Lange, however, accused the Government of misrepresenting the F.O.L. position. He said the F.O.L. had wanted a return to work, the workers to sign the company’s form guaranteeing adherence to the site agreement, and an inquiry into the state of industrial relations on the site. “The difference arose when the Government was content to take the bulk of the proposition but the company did not want to have any inquiry into industrial relations,” Mr Lange said. Speaking in Parliament during the bill’s third reading debate, Mr Thomson said the F.O.L. proposals