Travelling allowance ruling shock to unionists

Press, 24 April 1979, Page 1

Travelling allowance ruling shock to unionists

“I’m bloody appalled, said the secretary of th Canterbury branch of th Engineers’ Union (Mr R. J Todd) late yesterday when asked to comment on the decision by the Commis sioner of Inland Revenu (Mr T. N. Hunt) to tax travel allowances of aii • port workers. Mr Hunt gave his decision at a meeting with representatives of the Federation of Labour in Wei lington yesterday. Th; F.O.L. had made submissions before Easter which Mr Hunt said cast doubt on the legality of the taxes Mr Todd said yesterday that the decision was “the thin edge of the wedge.” “If they are allowed (.■ proceed with this, wh; knows what they will examine next,” he said.

Other workers might b< affected once the Inland Revenue Department started to tax the airport workers’ travel assistance The amount of travel as sistance was not jusplucked out of the air, said Mr Todd. It was based on an Automobile Association survey. The national secretary of the union (Mr J. A. Boomer) has called a meeting on Thursday in Wellington of branch secretaries and Air New Zealand engineers’ delegates. Mr Todd said that the meeting would hear the de-

vision and reassess the posi tion. Air New Zealand aircraft engineers at Christchurch and Auckland stopped work before Easter after Mr Hunt first said that the allowance would be taxed Airport clerks will have heir own meeting at Christchurch Airport. The clerks, who also get the travel allowance, gave 14 days notice of action belore Easter, but that notice expired on Easter Mondav Another fortnight’s notice had been given, which will expire next Monday, said ihe secretary of the Can terbury Clerical Workers Union (Mrs D. Shannoni last evening. The clerks threatened to ban the collection of pas senger departure taxes and travel taxes and to stop giving priority scats to Parliamentarians The position was ludicrous, said Mr Boomer last evening. Christchurch airport workers had received travel assistance since 1949. and those in other centres foi the last 10 years. "Some one is not doing their job," he said, referring to the Inland Revenue Department Mr Hunt had told F.O.L. members that the decision to tax the allowances war based on the law. “People shelter behind the law and the Govern ment,” said Mr Boomer.