Removal of worker penalties opposed

Press, 5 December 1985, Page 51

Removal of worker penalties opposed

PA Wellington The Government was weakening industrial law to help the trade union movement, an Opposition mem-

ber of Parliament has said. The member for Kaimai, Mr Bruce Townshend, told Parliament that the State Services Conditions of Em-

ployment Amendment (No. 2) Bill would allow State electricity supplies to be used as an industrial weapon. Mr Townshend was speaking during committee stages of the bill. The bill would remove penalty provisions of the 1983 act which effectively outlawed industrial action by State sector electricity workers. The 1983 act resulted from a threat of industrial action by electricity workers. The former Prime Minister, Sir Robert Muldoon, then threatened to deregister the Public Service Association. Mr Townshend said that he would move an amendment aimed at retaining the penalty provision of the 1983 act.

“It seems this Government is more intent on looking after demands of its labour friends and the Federation of Labour and the State unions ... rather than being concerned with the wheels of industry, the essential services, keeping hospitals going and the provision of daily supplies of milk,” he said. It would be a sorry day for New Zealand if the bill was passed.

But the Minister of Energy, Mr Tizard, said that the new bill did not reduce the Minister of Labour’s powers. “What it does is ensure that electricity workers will be treated in the same way as all other State workers who provide essential services, he said.

Electrical workers would still need to give 14 days notice of industrial action, the Minister would still have the power to call a compulsory conference, appoint of inquiry, optefer any threatened strike to a mediator.

There had been only one interruption of work in electricity in 50 years. Mr Tizard said that in 1983 housing for electricity workers had been at issue.

The workers had made it quite clear that they guaranteed the continued supply of electricity during the dispute. “But the (National) Government chose to see that as a threat to electricity supply. They saw a political opportunity for a unionbashing argument,” Mr Tizard said.

Mr Fred Gerbic (Lab., Onehunga) said that it was not the Government’s policy to rely on penal provisions of the law to resolve any industrial dispute.

“There is no use imprisoning workers or fining them substantial sums because as members on that side of the House should well know, those fines will not resolve any dispute,” he said.

Mr Townshend’s amendment was lost, 34-42, and the bill, after being split into two separate ones, passed its committal stages.