Redundancies settled at Timaru

Press, 14 May 1987, Page 3

Redundancies settled at Timaru

Timaru reporter Wrightson Dalgety’s retail store in Timaru reopened at 2 p.m. yesterday after protracted talks over redundancy settlement for 43 staff. The store is due to close on June 12. Mrs Noeline Sugrue, the Wrightson Dalgety delegate to, the Shop Employees’ Union, said union officials and management had agreed not to disclose details of the settlement, but they were now all reasonably happy. She said that while strike action was considered and the store remained closed for part of Tuesday and much of yesterday, the employees were not striking but holding talks on the redundancy deal. A public rally outside the store at noon drew only a small response, only about 30 attending. Mrs Sugrue said it was unfortunate that most staff were meeting at the time and could not attend the rally, which was addressed by the member of Parliament for Timaru,

Mr Maurice McTigue; the Timaru Labour Party candidate, Mr Gary Clarke; a former deputy mayor, Mr Wynne Raymond; and the assistant secretary of the Distribution Workers’ Union, Mr Larry Sutherland. The company’s original offer last Friday to the 43 shop employees, clerical workers, drivers, and tearoom staff was a basic redundancy of 8 per cent of the yearly wage for the first year, with a further 4 per cent a year for up to 20 years. Two weeks job-search pay was also offered. The 43 employees wanted something similar to the offer 120 Watties factory staff received earlier this year. They have been offered six weeks pay for the first year’s service and two weeks pay for every year of service thereafter. An additional payment of six weeks was also allowed for job-searching.

Watties intends to close it# Washdyke factory in October.