Steel workers told: Stay home

Press, 29 August 1986, Page 3

Steel workers told: Stay home

PA Auckland The management at the Glenbrook steel mill expansion site has told employees to stay home until they improve their work record. Sub-contractors on the site say that in the last three months almost a third of working time has been lost in strikes, absenteeism and time-wasting. They say it represents 120,000 lost hours, the equivalent of 60 years work by one worker. Mr Tony Teesdale, industrial relations manager for the managing contractor, 1.H.1., said yesterday that the workforce of 1500 would not be allowed back until their unions promised a better work record.

He said that if the workers were not on strike they often did not appear, especially on Saturdays. “They believe they can come to work when it suits them,” he said. Half-hour lunch breaks were lasting 50 minutes, even an hour. Engineers, he said, struck for two days recently saying a foreman had pushed a worker when they were at smoko. A worker who telephoned the “New Zealand Herald” yesterday said an employee had nudged the foreman. Mr Teesdale said the workers were in their lunch shed at 11.45 a.m., although they should not stop work before 11.55 a.m. “The foreman is a most placid guy. He told them they should not be there and to leave. One arrogant guy walked in past him and nudged him.” The worker said: “We are sick and tired of all the trouble.” Mr Teesdale said letters would be sent to union officials telling them what was happening at the site and seeking assurances that the work would con-

tinue at a reasonable pace. More than 1000 workers were locked out or on strike. A site management spokesman said 1100 of the 1500 workforce were either on strike or suspended. Troubles at the South Auckland site are similar to those which have closed Tasman’s Kawerau mill. Like Tasman, the Glenbrook contractors have a list of demands of workers which they want the unions to agree to before they reopen the site. One of the issues in dispute at Glenbrook and Kawerau is an employer’s right to hire whom he wants. Mr Teesdale said the decision to lock out the workers was made after a series of trivial disputes which included: • A dispute between electricians and labourers over who should have union coverage of teamakers. • Trans-field labourers striking for 3-1/2 days

because a carpenter did a labourer’s work. (The carpenter apologised, Mr Teesdale said). • Engineers striking for two days after alleging a foreman pushed a worker. The foreman had asked the men to finish their smoko. ® Electricians stopped work for two days because of no covered walkway to their toilet. The site employers’ demands are on Saturday work, recruitment and time keeping. Mr Teesdale said, “We have an arrangement where there is supposed to be work every second Saturday but only 25 per cent to 30 per cent of workers turn up. It has gone past insisting on more workers turning up; we are looking at cancelling Saturday work/' New Zealand Steel, Ltd, announced a series of cost-saving changes at the start of this month ’ The site union advocate, Mr Ray Bianchi, was unavailable for comment. He has called a meeting of all the workers on site on Monday.