Claims over staff’s stand ‘totally false’

Press, 6 October 1987, Page 8

Claims over staff’s stand ‘totally false’

Wellington reporter

Claims made by the Minister of Tourism, Mr Goff, that the Shop Employees’ Union is harming the tourist industry by opposing extended trading hours have been dismissed by the union as “totally false.” The national secretary of the Distribution Workers’ Federation, Mr Paul Kimble, said Mr Goff had been "in the job” only six weeks.

• The union would appreciate being approached by Mr Goff before the Minister made any further statements, Mr Kimble said.

Mr Goff had commented on the release of

departmental briefing papers prepared for him that shop trading hours were of critical importance to the future of the tourist industry. There was room for further flexibility in the hours shopping facilities were open and the Shop Trading Commission and the union — which naturally had been rather conservative on the question — would be approached, Mr Goff said.

Mr Kimble said Queenstown shops were permitted by the commission to open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so clearly the tourist industry could get all the flexibility it needed. Given that tourism

could be accommodated within the present structure, employers would have to provide compelling evidence that Sunday trading ■ was generally necessary, he said. Talks were being held by the union with retail workers over this issue, and that was the correct way to deal with the matter.

“We do not appreciate Government intervention,” Mr Kimble said. The Government had previously tried to impose working hours on retail workers; workers had reacted strongly then and were likely to do so again.

The union would seek an urgent meeting with Mr Goff.