Unions agree about fish

Press, 12 April 1979, Page 1

Unions agree about fish

PA Wellington An inter-union agreement has been reached which the Federation of Labour hopes will end the demarcation dispute over unloading joint-venture fishing vessels. Details of the agreement will not be disclosed until Tuesday when all the parties involved in the dispute meet in Wellington at a conference called by the Minister of Labour (Mr Bolger). Watersiders and fish processors at Bluff clashed last month over who should unload the New Zealand chartered German factory trawler, Wesermunde. Unloading fishing boats has traditionally been the work of fishermen and food processors, but the Watersiders’ Federation claims that its members should now handle export fish.

Mr W. J. Knox, Secretary of the F.O.L. said the agreement was reached between the Watersiders’ Federation, the Northern and Otago-Southland Fish Processors’ Unions, and the New Zealand Food Processors’ Union. He would say only that it involved a compromise in which both parties had some coverage of the job. The president of the New Zealand Seafood Exporters’ Association, and a director of the company which has chartered the Wesermunde, Mr R. L. Harrison of Wellington, is less optimistic. “My view is that the industry is not in a position to make a compromise.’’ he said. “The unions can reach one among themselves, but all we want to do is continue the customary practice — and the watersiders are trying to muscle in.”