Wage order claim next week

Press, 13 July 1985, Page 1

Wage order claim next week

By

PATRICIA HERBERT

in Wellington The unions will present a formal interim wage order proposal to the Government early next week but have been told not to expect a reply until some time later. These details were announced by the president of the Federation of Labour, Mr Jim Knox, at a press conference after yesterday's meeting of the tripartite talks. Mr Knox said the claim would be lodged either late Monday or early Tuesday but would not disclose whether it would give a specific wage figure. The Minister of Labour, Mr Rodger, said the Government had given an undertaking to reconsider its decision and that it had

their thoughts on the matter and present them in writing.” It had asked the same of the Employers’ Federation and was expecting its paper within the next few days, he said. The federation’s executive director, Mr Jim Rowe, would not say what attitude it would take on the issue but said it was concerned that the wage thaw, was broken satisfactorily. “How we get out of that is very important to the country as a whole and that is why we will be attending very seriously to the submissions that are made,” he said. His comments would seem to strengthen speculation that the federation may be sympathetic to the Kninno’ o 1 nrnviHoH

the award round is delayed so that an appropriate code can be drawn up for secondtier and industry-based bargaining. Mr Knox indicated yesterday that if that was the price the unions might be prepared to pay it, but how much weight can be given to this remains to be seen. Other unionists have told “The Press” that any postponement is simply not possible. Mr Knox said the unions’ case for interim relief had been strengthened by the latest consumers’ price index which had taken the inflation rate to 16.6 per cent for the year to June. He attached a threat: he said the round might not go as smoothly as the Government, the employers, and thp POT. had Tinned if the

wage order was rejected. “Our members are already sending me telegrams expressing their very strong concern that as yet we have not been able to convince the Government of the proposal,” he said. “I am being asked to address meetings round the country and some action is being taken in Auckland now. No doubt there will be more.” Mr Rodger, anticipating that the unions would put “some stress” on the likelihood of industrial trouble should their claim fail, said the Cabinet would consider that argument as it would others. Both Mr Rodger and the Associate Minister of Finance, Mr Prebble, who was also at yesterday’s meetins. said the Govern-

ment was still opposed to the concept of a general wage order because it ran contrary to the broad thrust of its economic strategy. However, Mr Prebble said it might be persuaded to grant one “if the case Mr Knox puts up is good enough.” This was in line with a statement made by the Prime Minister, Mr Lange, on Thursday. Mr Lange said: “If there are ingredients of a forthcoming wage round which would have relevance to some interim relief — a sum of money per week for instance — that is something we can do, isn’t it — 520 a week? Let’s hear about it.” This was repeated by “The Press” at yesterday’s conference and was seized

upon both by Mr Knox and by the chairman of the Combined State Unions, Mr Ron Burgess. They approached “The Press” later as neither had heard the quote before and both took it as an encouraging sign but, if this is the best news they have had on the matter, it seems their claim will be rejected and that the Government will stand by its response earlier this week. Another factor supporting this scenario is that time is running out. The formal proposal has not yet been lodged and will not be considered by the tripartite talks until the week after next at least, which takes the decision to mid-July or beyond. The round is scheduled to begin in September or October.