Stoppage at paper mill

Press, 5 November 1984, Page 4

Stoppage at paper mill

PA Wellington About 100 timber workers at the Tasman pulp and paper mill in Kawerau walked off the job late on Friday on a 24-hour stoppage protest against the company’s plans to reduce staff.

The national secretary of the Timber Workers’ Union, Mr Ray Hamilton, forecast complete industrial unrest. The company announced last Thursday a major restructuring of mill operations, saying it wanted to become more efficient in case there should be another downturn in the pulp and newsprint market. Although company officials would not say how may jobs would be lost, the “Dominion” newspaper reported on Saturday that several sources within the mill estimated the number could be as high as 500 out of the 3000 workforce. The timber workers declared a shut down at 4 p.m. on Friday, after a unanimous decision to hold a 24hour strike. Staff at the mill had been told that natural attrition should be all that was needed for reduction in “an excess of people,” said the managing director, Mr Garry Mace.