Company Gives Notice To 39 Employees

Press, Volume C, Issue 29506, 6 May 1961, Page 9

Company Gives Notice To 39 Employees

As a result of the stoppage of work at the factory of New Zealand Wallboards. Ltd. at Opawa last week, 39 employees at the factory of Winstone, Blackburne. Smith, Ltd. have been given one week's notice of the termination of their employment. The men are employed on fixing and stopping wallboard which is supplied from the Opawa factory. A spokesman for Win.stone, Blackburne. Smith, Ltd., said yesterday that the 39 employees—23 plasterers and 16 carpenters—had been given notice “briefly and objectively” because they were all engaged specifically on fixing and stopping wallboard. "We have not sufficient supplies of this board to continue placing the men in employment. It is purely a question of supply and demand, and at present, we have not sufficient board for three days’ work,” the spokesman said. "This is simply an extension by the firm of the present wallboard dispute.” said Mr R. J. Pitcairn, district organiser for the Canterbury Carpenters' and Plasterers' Union, yesterday. The stoppage of work at the factory of New Zealand Wallboards. Ltd., occurred when employees and the union protested at the application by the comopany to the Arbitration Court for exemption from the Canterbury Plasterers’ Award and

the placing of its men under the award which is operating in its two other factories in Auckland and Wellington. This award provides for lower wages than the Canterbury Plasterers’ Award. AU the facts of the dispute with New Zealand Wallboards, Ltd., had been referred to the executive of the Federation of Labour, said Mr Pitcairn. It was understood that the federation was supporting the men. “Therefore the union will not take any action on this further development in the dispute until the delegates to the Federation of Labour conference in WeUington return,” he said.