Caterer terminates contract

Press, 31 May 1986, Page 9

Caterer terminates contract

Disagreement over manning levels has prompted Huntsbury Food Services to terminate its contract with Skellerup Footwear in Woolston.

The company had given four weeks written notice of its intention to terminate the contract, said its manager, Mr Alan Vernel.

Its decision marks the end of a four-week dispute over manning levels in the cafeteria run by Huntsbury Food Services at Skellerup Footwear.

Three cafeteria staff went on strike four weeks ago when Huntsbury Food

Services did not replace a fourth worker who resigned after her work was reduced from eight hours to four a day. The secretary of the Canterbury Hotel Workers’ union, Mr Martin Moodie, said the three remaining staff had felt that they could not cope with the increased load. At a meeting of union and the management of Skellerup Footwear yesterday the dispute was “amicably resolved,” said Mr Moodie. The cafeteria staff would return to work on

Tuesday and a fourth hand would be employed for 10 hours a week. The union had originally offered a compromise settlement of 14 hours a week. Mr Vernel said that Huntsbury Food Services had decided to terminate its contract because it felt the manning levels sought by the union were inappropriate. The union would look for an independent contractor to take over the running of the cafeteria. A fourth person would be employed immediately.

Every effort would be made to find alternative work for the cafeteria staff should they not be offered continued work in the cafeteria by the incoming contractor, he said.