Boilermakers on strike

Press, 3 December 1987, Page 6

Boilermakers on strike

By

RICHARD CRESSWELL,

industrial reporter The Canterbury Boilmakers’ Union is striking indefinitely at John Jones Steel, Ltd, a Christchurch engineering company, in a bid to get a better pay deal for members. Boilermakers have been on strike in Christchurch, and in Dunedin under other action, since last Friday. They plan to return to work in Christchurch on Monday, excluding the John Jones site, in Falsgrave Street, which employs 36 boilermakers. The secretary of the Canterbury Boilermakers’ Union, Mr Hugh Rice, said the company had done special deals with drivers and labourers at the firm. He said boilermakers at the site wanted a similar deal, which for drivers is an 8.6 per cent wage rise and up to $32.50 a week industry allowance.

Boilermakers were seeking a combined rise for wages and conditions of 11 per cent, which for indentured tradesmen, would be a one-off payment of about 15 per cent.

The union is also claiming 77 cents an hour as an industry allowance. It is currently 48 cents. A claim for an indentured payment of 32 cents an hour is also on the table, and the union is seeking a tool allowance rise from 6.1 per cent to 15.9 per cent Mr Rice said employers were not recognising that indentured workers and apprentices in other industries were receiving the indentured payment. This was the first time the union had planned prolonged action, and the union wanted a better deal on conditions. Talks on the boilermakers’ award collapsed on November 3, and the workers had returned to work, against their assessors’ wishes, he said. “Obviously employers used the three-week work period to get urgent contracts out of the way — but that won’t happen again,” he said. No date has been set down for future talks, John Jones Steel, Ltd, company spokesman, Mr John Van Schaijik, said the union’s claims were exorbitant.