Union wins appeal against Telecom

Press, 1 July 1988, Page 3

Union wins appeal against Telecom

The Post Office Union has won an appeal against Telecom for deducting pay from workers at the Papanui and Sockburn line depots in August last year. Judge Palmer allowed an appeal in the Labour Court for deducting pay for a week, but dismissed an appeal for pay for workers at the central depot in Durham Street. Telecom had deducted pay from construction and maintenance staff at the central, Sockburn, and Papanui depots for certain hours from August 6 to August 13. The Judge said 292 workers were employed at the central depot and 101 and 94 workers respectively at the Sock-

burn and Papanui branches. In 1986 the regional engineer had told the depots that “driving time” payments would not be paid by the Post Office. Neither workers nor the uninn were ■ consulted about the change, he said.

The payments related to the maintenance and servicing of vehicles allowing 1 i/ 2 hours overtime each week.

In July, workers at the depots decided to stop vehicle documentation and cleaning vehicles. The dispute was resolved by mediation in August. Because of the workers’ action depot work gangs leaving the depots were delayed up to 90

minutes. Telecom confirmed at a meeting with the union that from August 3 staff would not be paid because of the action. The Judge said there was considerable inconsistency of approach by workers at the central depot compared with the Sockburn and Papanui depots.

There were no delays in vehicles departing from Papanui or Sockburn on August 3, 4 or 5, and Telecom could not justifiably conclude it was not liable to pay workers from those depots. The Judge accepted that workers at the central depot were continuously in breach of their contracts.