Caxton workers end stoppage

Press, 8 November 1988, Page 7

Caxton workers end stoppage

By

RICHARD CRESSWELL

Workers at the Caxton paper factory and distribution warehouse in Blenheim Road will return to work today after a 24hour stoppage in support of award claims.

An organiser for the Southern Distribution Workers Union, Miss Norma Coles, said loadout bans would likely be considered in the future.

That action involved 12 workers and was part of continuing action over the breakdown of the stores award. The action was an attempt to get employers back into conciliation, she said. Talks in the award broke down in mid-Sep-tember. Six workers were suspended at Watties last week for taking a load-out ban, and met yesterday. They decided to continue their action until to-

morrow. Watties Frozen Foods staff on night and day shifts had also taken action over the award, involving 12 workers at the site, but they had not been suspended, Miss Coles said.

They will meet again tomorrow.

Ongoing bans at Lane Walker Rudkin would probably also continue.

About 2500 stores workers met in Auckland yesterday and voted to take action at various work sites, said Miss Coles.

Action by stores workers was expected to escalate tomorrow, she said. Stores workers in Timaru had also decided to take action at two sites.

Another spokesman for the union, Mr Bernie O’Brien, said there would be a special stop-work meeting in Christchurch on Monday for workers in the retail non-food award.