Legal action threat to end ‘Star’ strike

Press, 22 August 1989, Page 9

Legal action threat to end ‘Star’ strike

By

DAVID CLARKSON

Legal moves by the “Christchurch Star” management were expected to force striking staff back to work today. The company warned that it would seek a compliance order, and interim injunction and damages if the striking workers did not resume normal duties today.

The threat was issued by the Newspaper Publishers’ Association after a meeting of striking printers, journalists and graphic process staff voted to extend their strike to tomorrow. Production of the newspaper has been halted since Friday, when staff walked out over the company’s plans to lay off 41 full-time and 14 part-time workers.

“Feelings among striking workers are running higher after management refused to come back to the table to discuss the redundancy issue,” the joint union delegates, Mr Keith Hart for the printers, and Mr Tony Ford for the journalists

and graphic process workers, said after yesterday’s meeting.

It is understood workers from the three unions voted 85-44 to strike on Friday, but yesterday the margin in favour of continuing the action had increased to 108-31. After the results of the vote to continue the strike were announced, the newspaper’s general manager, Mr Rick Swinard, confirmed that legal moves were being examined which he hoped would end the strike. Letters were sent to the two unions, stating that the strike was unlawful, and a hearing on the dispute of rights under their awards had been arranged for September 19.

The letters from the executive director of the Newspaper Publishers’ Association, Mr Patrick Greene, say that the newspaper has instructed solicitors to file documents with the Labour Court in Christchurch today, and would go ahead with the legal action un-

less workers “returned to full normal duties by their normal start time tomorrow morning.” The unions were then expected to contact members to tell them of the legal action, and call them back to work today. A brief meeting may be held before work resumes.

“The already lamentable staff-management relations will be even worse after this,” said Mr Ford.

He said union officials were appalled that after making people redundant without consultation, and offering an insulting redundancy deal, the newspaper’s management was now “throwing the legal book at the staff.”

Two union representatives went to Auckland yesterday to discuss the redundancies and some ideas for the paper’s future with the owners, Wilson and Horton, Ltd. The unions are also trying to get support from 100 Wilson and Horton shareholders to force a special general meeting to discuss the redundancies.