Electrical workers’ ban being felt in Riccarton

Press, 2 April 1985, Page 9

Electrical workers’ ban being felt in Riccarton

A ban on some work by Riccarton Borough Council electrical workers is begining to have a disruptive effect, according to the Town Clerk, Mr John Skinner. The ban on the testing and installation of meters began when the council dismissed, because of a lack of work, an electrician employed to maintain the meters. Other electrical workers were refusing to do the meter work until this person was replaced, said Mr Skinner last evening. The council could not find enough work to keep one person employed specifically for meter work. Other electrical workers were

capable of doing the work, said Mr Skinner. It was senseless for the council to take on more workers when there was a surplus of manpower looming in the department. Already the council had brought work forward from next year, to keep electrical workers fully employed. This accelerated programme could not continue indefinitely, Mr Skinner said. About 200 houses were waiting to have ripple control relay systems changed. This work was becoming more important as winter approached, although it was not vital. The ban was also affect-

ing the introduction of underground reticulation. Thousands of dollars had been spent on this work but some Riccarton streets were unable to get the full benefits because of the ban, said Mr Skinner. The servicing of electric blankets was also affected. The ban was discussed by the council’s electricity committee meeting in committee last evening. The council was still trying to avoid four redudancies among its electrical workers through continuing negotiations with the Post Office over its underground conversion programme, said Mr Skinner. The ban was discussed by

the council electricity committee meeting in committee last evening. The Canterbury secretary of the Engineers' Union, Mr Bob Todd, said last evening that the meter electrician should be replaced by the council. Local bodies had a moral obligation to maintain people in work, he said. The council was trying to make between three and seven electricity workers redundant, but it had not proved that any of these were necessary. The union had offered to investigate the viability of the council’s electricity section, to see if the claims of over-staffing could be substantiated, but the council had not taken up the offer, Mr Todd said