Union strategy wilts as more rebel

Press, 16 October 1986, Page 1

Union strategy wilts as more rebel

PA Auckland The unions’ strategy to hoist wage rise expectations above the drivers’ 6 per cent took some knocks yesterday, with pockets of rebellion reported around the

country.

Glove workers in Auckland, rubber goods manufacturers in New Plymouth, and Fisher and Paykel engineers in Dunedin, accepted 6 per cent... a figure that has caused consternation to the Federation of Labour since its acceptance by the drivers’ union in Christchurch. Citing double-figure inflation, the federation has urged unions to raise their sights and to use industrial muscle to achieve a better reward.

The deal in New Plymouth for 65 staff at the Carter-Wallace factory boosts their attendance bonus from $5 to $15... giving an over-all increase of 10 per cent.

In Dunedin, an electrical appliances company, Autocrat Sanyo, Ltd, has extended a wage offer of 6 per cent to its 100 workers for a further week.

"Originally our offer expired at 4 p.m. last Friday,” said the factory

manager, Mr K. A. Marr, yesterday. “But in view of approaches we have received from staff and acceptance by Fisher and Paykel staff of a similar offer, we have decided to extend our offer.”

The director of advocacy for the Employers’ Federation, Mr Steve Marshall, said yesterday he knew of several companies which had now reached agreement on house deals of 5 and 6 per cent.

But. he was reticent about where the alleged leaks in the unions’ bulwarks were, declining to name the companies.

The Auckland biscuitmaker, Arnotts Foods, Ltd, suspended 27 store workers yesterday. The managing director, Mr Paul Brosnahan, said the company would decide today whether to suspend the remaining 300 factory workers. The stores workers struck after the break-

down of their award talks when their union rejected a 5 per cent wage offer. When they returned they banned containers to the South Island in protest at drivers loading out goods during their strike. The company maintained the drivers were not doing work outside their award and suspended the stores workers.

The secretary of the Northern Store Workers’ Union, Mr Mike Jackson, said workers were prepared to hold out for six or seven weeks to force employers to lift their award offers.

Two crucial meetings in Auckland today are likely to increase the pace of union action in support of their push for settlements beyond 6 per cent.' The Northern Store Workers’ Union will hold a stopwork meeting, and the Auckland Trades Council action committee will meet.

Mr Marshall, referring

to the “house agreements” he had declined to name, said such settlements would obviously throw doubts on the value of the national award system.

"But probably what will occur is that workers will start looking at what is happening and realise the need to go back .into negotiations and settle awards with rational discussion.”

He said it was possible that some companies might look at opting out of award negotiations altogether if the incidence of house deals grew.

“That decision would be up to the assessors in each document and whether it would occur is a different story. But it is feasible.”

Talks on the packaging printers award opened in Auckland yesterday, the union claiming a 16 per cent pay rise. The employers have yet to table an offer. Talks continue today.