Striking men paid?

Press, 11 April 1979, Page 6

Striking men paid?

Storemen and packers employed by freight-forwarding, companies have backed) down over the agreement on) a 15c industry allowance.) But they have come under; attack from the Strike Free organisation for allegedly! making a deal with the employers whereby they will! be paid in full for the time) — about a week — that they were on strike. The Auckland and Canter-! bury storemen and packers’; unions will raise the con-)

'traversia! loc-an-hour in ;dustry allowance issue agair J la ter'this year, for inclusior in the renewed award foi freight forwarding employees. ’ The workers met yesterI day . and accepted the fact I that they' would not be able to receive the allowance bejcause of the 12-month rule, which specifies that payments cannot be agreed be'tween employers and unions more frequently than every ■ 12 months. The Government had threatened to cancel the allowance through special legislation if jt was not abrogated voluntarily by the parties. Other parts of the agreement concerning the handling of dangerous goods will remain because they do not involve pay ments. The freight-forwarding award expires in November. The Press Association reports from Auckland that the director of the Strike Free organisation (Mr C. L. Harder) alleges that the

-! companies agreed to paj ii their storemen full eight, i f hour wages for the tint, r they were on strike. The secretary of the I Canterbury union (Mr P. E, -IPiesse) would neither con, tlfirm nor deny the allegation, ‘but the Press Association ■ 'reports that reliable source] ,I within the freight industry J have confirmed the truth of ■lMr Harder's claim. “It now' appears that th, ■'Government and businesi have accepted the principle (of paying those unions | which are vital to the nat, iional economy full wages I for the time they strike, 11 isaid Mr Harder. Mr Harder has ask’d th< iMinister of Labour (Mr Bob iger) and the Prime Minister (Mr Muldoon) to advise tire 'height-forwarding companies that payment for striking iworkers’is unacceptable to [the Government. ' He has also asked tin (Government to consider legislation outlawing pay. ments of any kind by 'employers to strikers.