Rubbish men will limit work if no overtime

Press, 3 November 1984, Page 9

Rubbish men will limit work if no overtime

Christchurch rubbish collectors may not finish collections if the Christchurch City Council will not pay overtime for more than six hours work. The 23 rubbish collectors employed by the council decided yesterday that they would not work unless paid overtime if collections went beyond six hours because of an injury to a worker, vehicle breakdowns, paid stop-work meetings, or a shortfall in the required three-man crew on each truck.

The secretary of the Canterbury Labourer’s Union, Mr R. A. Lowe, said that the

workers would ask the council if it would pay overtime in these circumstances. If it was not, they would work six hours and then return to the depot. The question of overtime was one of concern to the union, he said. Overtime and the supply of cordial to workers on trucks caused a stop-work on October 26 when the rubbish collectors protested about the council’s failure to supply the cold drinks on the job.

Rubbish collectors were eligible for overtime after working six hours, said Mr Lowe.

The council’s deputy gen-

eral manager (works), Mr Harold Surtees, said he regarded the four circumstances Mr Lowe had outlined as “ongoing operational matters which I expect can be readily resolved by sensible management and worker discussion if and when they arise.” Mr Lowe said that the workers were happy with the council’s agreement to make bulk cordial available to workers on the job. Coffee and tea were already provided at the yard and in vacuum flasks. Collection of rubbish resumed as usual after yesterday’s meeting.