Northern unions to merge

Press, 9 January 1986, Page 12

Northern unions to merge

PA Auckland Four northern unions will merge to form the Northern Distribution Workers’ Union, with a membership of up to 35,000. They are the Northern Drivers’ Union, Northern Store Workers’ Union, Auckland Shop Employees’ Union and Northern Butchers’ and Grocers’ Union.

Each, however, will retain some autonomy. Each division — transport, stores and warehousing retail food and retail non-food — will retain its own secretary, officials and executive. The chairman of the union’s interim committee, Mr Owen Harvey, said: “It falls short of full amalgamation. For example, drivers won’t be able to tell grocers what to do, or, if store workers go on strike,

butchers won’t have to. “There will be immediate gains. We can combine administrative resources and it will help in education of delegates, publicity and research.” The merger will bring two of Auckland’s most influential union leaders, Mr Bill Andersen and Mr Mike Jackson, into a much closer working relationship. Mr Andersen and Mr Jackson are, respectively, president and vice-president of the Auckland Trades Council. They are also secretaries of the drivers’ union and the store workers’ union respectively. Members of the four unions voted to support a merger at several meetings late last year.