Wool scours hit by bans

Press, 29 January 1988, Page 1

Wool scours hit by bans

Worker suspensions have begun at some of the country’s wool scours, and appear likely to snowball today as a load-out ban imposed on Sunday begins to bite. The ban was imposed by the Meat Workers’ Union because of the impasse in the wool scour workers’ award talks. It is preventing wool exporters getting their orders into the ships, while wool scouring companies are quickly running out of storage space. Mr lan Caraduf, the managing director of Clifton Wool Scour, Ltd, of Invercargill, said that his company suspended eight sorters yesterday morning and would have to cease work “fairly soon.” Among Canterbury' scouring companies, Kaputone Wool Scour, Ltd, of Belfast, was believed to have suspended staff yesterday, but a company spokesman declined to comment and referred inquiries to Mr Neil McPhail, the employers’ advocate in the stalled award talks. Mr McPhail said he believed that about four companies had acted, and some might already have suspended their entire workforces. Mr Jack Scott, the Meat Workers’ Union national secretary, said yesterday afternoon that he was aware only of the “half a dozen” suspensions in Southland.