Back-to-work agreement

Press, 22 September 1984, Page 9

Back-to-work agreement

Employees at the Skellerup Foam Latex factory will return to work on Monday, after reaching agreement in a dispute over an improved incentive bonus based oh productivity. The secretary of the Canterbury Rubber Workers’ Union, Mr Roger Brott, said last evening that the formula for an incentive scheme for employees would be worked out soon. The scheme would be based on a working day of seven hours and 40 minutes, and any work done beyond that time would be regarded as eligible for an incentive bonus. “It seems that reason has prevailed, and now everybody is prepared to get on with the job,” he said.

The Skellerup manage-

ment had agreed to negotiate on an “honest basis” in future, and make available informmation about the financial position, said Mr Brott. He had assured the company that the information would be treated confidentially. Agreement was reached on the three week dispute at a meeting yesterday afternoon. Twenty rubber workers were involved in the strike.

The general manager of Skellerup Industries, Ltd, Mr D. A. Wilson, said the company had agreed to a basic formula for negotiation of the incentive scheme, subject to the approval of the Wages Tribunal. The agreement was satisfactory from the company’s point of view, he said.