Firestone boilermen back on Sunday

Press, 23 August 1984, Page 9

Firestone boilermen back on Sunday

Boiler attendants will resume work and lift all restrictions at the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company’s plant in Papanui at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The return to work will bring to an end a strike begun by the 10 boilermen on August 14 in response to a warning by the company that they would be suspended unless they agreed to resume what the company called “normal” work. The boilermen had said that they were not prepared to work excessive overtime unless the company was prepared to recognise this disruption to their leisure

time at week-ends by giving some sort of allowance over and above penal payments of time and a half and double time. The company had denied that it had ever required anyone to work excessive overtime. It had considered a collective refusal to work reasonable overtime as a ban. The secretary ci- the Canterbury Stationary Engine Drivers’ Union, Mr Norman Dewes, said yesterday that the conciliator’s conference originally set down for today would not now be needed and he had thanked the conciliator, Mr Brian

Gray, for his help in trying to get the dispute resolved. Mr Dewes said that the company had at times been inconsistent in what it said. The union was giving it until Sunday to allow time for the lifting of suspensions of about 250 rubber workers and “to get its act together.” “I hope the company will see sense and be prepared to talk next week,” he said. “If it does not we will cross that bridge when we come to it.” A spokesman for the Firestone Tire and Rubber Company said last evening that even though the boiler at-

tendants had indicated that they would return to work at 3 p.m. on Sunday, he could not understand why they could not start earlier “if in. fact all restrictions had been lifted as the union claims.” The spokesman said that as soon as work started, overtime would be required in keeping with the schedule in use before the strike. Even though the union has indicated that it will not attend a conciliator’s conference set down for today, the company would be present “as it has some matters that still need clarifying,” the spokesman said.