Kawerau stoppage only the start?

Press, 12 April 1979, Page 2

Kawerau stoppage only the start?

PA Rotorua The Minister of Forests (Mr V. S. Young) is concerned that the 24-hour stoppage planned at the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company’s Kawerau plant is only the start. About 600 pulp and paper workers intend to stop work for 24 hours tomorrow because of a wage-relativity dispute. The Northern Pulp and Paper Workers’ Federation, with members of the Timber Workers’ Union, has rejected company proposals to get round the problem and the federation’s executive has been authorised to call further stoppages after tomor-, row, if necessary. , Mr Young said that the country’s largest export industry once again faced the' prospect of having its exports put at risk. Last year the Tasman Pulp and Paper Company at Kawerau was affected by a

six-week strike costing several million dollars.

New Zealand’s forestry exports were becoming more and more vulnerable because of a group of people trying to get their own way, through threats of stoppages,” Mr Young said. “What is at stake, really, is the credibility of New Zealand as a regular supplier of top-grade forest products. “We can certainly make the articles but our credibility as a supplier will suffer if we cannot meet orders,” he said.

Twelve of the 14 unions at Tasman have been negotiating their annual award since early in March. However, two unions, the pulp and paper and timber workers’ unions, have not been taking part. “The company regrets that a decision has now been made by one group to stop work on the issue, particularly as there has been a great deal of good will from

all union officials and delegates while the parties try to find an answer to the relativity problem,” Mr Young said.

“We are the producers and suppliers of New Zealand forestry exports,” said the secretary of the Northern Federation of Pulp and Paper Workers’ (Mr J Murphy), commenting on Mr Young’s remarks. “Perhaps Mr Young and others should pay more attention to us and the problems in our industry instead of regarding us as interfering in someone else’s industry,” he said.

Talks have been held this week between management and pulp and paper workers but there is no sign of avoiding the 24-hour stopwork planned for tomorrow. Paper production at the mills will stop, although other sections will be at work. Mr Murphy said the executive would see the effect of tomorrow’s stoppage before calling for further similar action.