Talks about ‘award not wages’

Press, 27 September 1988, Page 2

Talks about ‘award not wages’

By

RICHARD CRESSWELL,

industrial reporter

Negotiations for wages on nbw were not part of a “wage round,” but an' ’‘award review/’ said the employers’ advocate in Canterbury for the metal trades award talks, Mr Gerald Hunt, yesterday. Mr Hunt is also the general manager of Moffat Appliances which employs about. 90 people inChristchurch. : A He said what the Engineers’ Union had told its members had happened at award talks last week, was far from “what actually occurred.” He said employers wasted a week at the talks because the union had already decided on its action with advertisements and publicity before the talks. “The whole talks were staged. We (employers) have been painted as horrible evil people.” The union’s actions were political • and had been changed because of the Dunedin Labour Party conference. He said the Engineers’ Union had decided to work more closely with the Combined Trade Unions. “I suspect the C.T.U. and the union are working in concert with a larger programme meant to involve the Government.” Employers were simply telling the union that generous conditions in the award, conceded at a time when all employers had protection from overseas tariffs and import licences, were now working against companies’ ability to trade and employ people. “We are back with the problem that so far, only employers provide jobs,” he said. The Canterbury district secretary of the Engineers’ Union had earlier accused the employers of trying to “claw back,” hard-won provisions under the award. In a circular to shop stewards the district secretary of the Engineers’ Union in Canterbury, Mr Bob Todd, said employers sought to have two other optional working weeks, one from Sunday to Thursday, the other Tuesday to Saturday. The union said employers also sought to have a 10 hour day without overtime, no overtime rates until 40 hours in a week had been worked and wanted temporary workers to be hired for 12 months instead of six.