Griffin’s picket won’t crumble

Press, 29 November 1989, Page 5

Griffin’s picket won’t crumble

PA Wellington Workers picketing Lower Hutt’s Griffin and Sons biscuit factory say they are determined not to give in to company moves which they say would put most of them on the breadline.

About 250 biscuit packers and other staff have been picketing the plant for the last eight days. Workers were suspended when they tried to return to work after a two-day strike last week but refused to sign a document agreeing to take no further industrial action.

The company has offered a 4.5 per cent wage rise and $2-a-week rise in the industry allowance. However, a spokeswoman for the picketers said the company would give the wage rise only if workers agreed to changes to hours which would reduce overtime earnings. One worker said overtime earnings were the only thing keeping most of the staff off the breadline. Most take home $240 for a 40-hour week, but supplement this by doing an average of 14 hours overtime, and sometimes working seven-day weeks. A company statement denied Griffins had any intention of altering work hours to reduce overtime payments.

“As soon as we have an assurance that rolling stoppages have ceased, normal work will resume and the award talks can proceed,” the statement said.