Power cuts

Press, 9 December 1988, Page 12

Power cuts

Sir, —How can Electricorp employees be so selfish as to demand a 9.5 per cent pay rise when most of them earn $30,000plus a year, expect electricity consumers to subsidise their housing, and refuse to . adopt more efficient work practices? Are they unaware that 150,000 New Zealanders are out of work, struggling to pay power bills and rent on incomes nearly one-fifth of their present income? Are they ignorant of the fact that the price of electricity has a critical the viability of thou-

sands of jobs? Are they too thick to realise that, by pulling the plug on manufacturers and enterprises in the present financial climate for but a day, they only put other jobs at further risk? — Yours, etc., NICK SMITH. December 7,1988.

Sir, —I would like to thank those Electricorp workers who were on strike on Wednesday morning, with the subsequent power shut-off. For the first morning, I managed to drive into the office in a matter of a few minutes, hitting only one snag when we had to operate according to the only set of traffic lights working in our area. We drivers certainly have more sense and in-built courtesy than the so-called authorities have us believe. In fact, long may the dead lights live. I thank you Electricorp for the one morning of bliss. — Yours, etc., DIANE L. AMMAR. December 7,1988.