Agreement sought before rail summit

Press, 10 October 1984, Page 2

Agreement sought before rail summit

The National Union of Railwaymen wants to settle certain differences with the Railways Corporation before it takes part in the proposed mini-summit on the railways early next month.

The union’s president, Mr George Finlayson, said in Christchurch yesterday that the differences were mainly those identified in Dr Martyn Finlay’s report on the Board of Inquiry into the Picton roster dispute. Dr Finlay endorsed four proposals by the corporation, one of which was that a working party be set up to look into the pros and cons of introducing a new industrial dispute tribunal. The parties were also to discuss roster negotiation procedures and an appropriate lead time for such negotiation.

Mr Finlayson said that although the Picton roster dispute had been settled there were still these other matters “overhanging” from the Finlay report. The union would be play-

ing itself into an impossible situation if it went to the summit without first settling procedures for when there was “flare-up.” He said that the existing Railways Tribunal dealt with wages and conditions, but a number of other issues could not be dealt with by the tribunal. The Picton rosters had been one such issue. The corporation had deemed them to be a matter on which the tribunal could not arbitrate. Under the law, only the corporation could apply to the tribunal, said Mr Finlayson. The N.U.R. had asked the corporation to issue an amending determination to cover the overtime issue at Picton but the corporation had refused, and the N.U.R. had not been able to challenge it in the tribunal.

Mr Finlayson was not impressed with the Economic Summit Conference and sees little for the N.U.R. in a railways summit. The railways mini summit is planned for November 3, 4 and 5.