Unions taking action against redundancies

Press, 13 July 1988, Page 5

Unions taking action against redundancies

PA Auckland Auckland trade union leaders say they are backing militant action against redundancies, and want employers to guarantee jobs and make their financial dealings open to scrutiny.

The Council of Trade Unions’ Auckland district council decided last evening on a series of proposals to protect jobs. Its president, Mr Bill Andersen, said these included giving unions the right to examine company accounts and to take part in efforts to save businesses from closing. Where appropriate, Maori groups or local authorities should also have an input in plans to rescue ailing businesses. He said companies could follow the lead of one Christchurch firm which had given an 18month guarantee of work to its employees. The unions had found it impossible to get the Government to accept such ideas, Mr Andersen said. “Seeing the Government will not intervene at all we are going to intervene more as an organised force on these closings, and it will not just be

a matter of negotiating redundancies.” If necessary, unions might use industrial action to get employers to accept the job protection measures, he said. A meeting _of Auckland unions will be held on Friday to discuss the ideas and ways of implementing them. Mr Ander-

sen said a number of recent business closings, such as the “Sun” newspaper, seemed to arise from corporate wheeling and dealing rather than a lack of viability of the enterprises. The manager of advocacy for the Auckland Employers’ Association, Mr Peter Carroll, said it was surprising that local unions were coming up with such proposals when the matters were being dealt with in the national tripartite wage talks in Wellington. He expected employers to resist moves to have sensitive business dealings made more open. As for job guarantees, it was impracticable to give such assurances no matter how large the company.

Involvement of local communities might be useful in saving some firms, but employers would not see it as appropriate in general terms, Mr Carroll said.