F.O.L. seeks talks with meat firms

Press, 15 February 1986, Page 3

F.O.L. seeks talks with meat firms

By

PATRICIA HERBERT

in Wellington The Federation of Labour will seek urgent talks with meat companies to try to settle the freezing industry pay dispute. The chances of a settlement’s being negotiated, however, are slender as the F.O.L. has endorsed also 15.5 per cent as the basic increase entitlement. Both resolutions were passed unanimously yesterday at a four-hour meeting in Wellington attended by representatives of those unions involved in the industry and affiliated to the federation. This does not include shift engineers who are now on strike, but it does cover meat workers, clerical staff, and most tradesmen.

The federation’s secretary, Mr Ken Douglas, said it would make representations on behalf of all three groups. An announcement had been expected yesterday on the threatened national strike but a decision has been deferred to at least Thursday. A specially expanded F.O.L. national disputes committee will meet then to consider developments. On Monday a delegation comprising the federation’s president, Mr Jim Knox; the secretary of the Engineers’ Union, Mr Rex Jones; the secretary of the Meat Workers’ Union, Mr. A. J. Kennedy; the secretary of the Carpenters’ Union, Mr Ashley Russ; and Mr Douglas will brief the Prime Minister, Mr Lange. They will ask also for the Government’s support

in setting up a conference to find solutions to the problems besetting the meat industry — a proposal for which the F.O.L. wants the co-operation of Federated Farmers.

This initiative was presented yesterday as quite separate from the pay dispute and in a different time-frame — mediumterm rather than shortterm — and although it might be interpreted as a conciliatory move, the potential is still there for a long industrial battle. Mr Douglas confirmed this by saying that action would be taken round the pay question and Mr Knox by saying that deferment of the strike should not be construed as a back-down.

Rather, he said, the delay was a response to the fact. that 75 per cent of plants were closed already. Another consideration which must have influenced the decision, although Mr Knox did not mention it, is that those workers who have been locked out but who are not striking are entitled to ; the unemployment benefit — an entitlement they; would lose if they struck; on their own behalf. !

The mood was apparently such that some ■ unions wanted to go out I anyway. Mr Knox said “some sections” in the > meeting” hacT ' wanted ’ “a ' type of action” while, others had wanted to go J along with the F.O.L. recommendation.

“We think it necessary for the unions and the F.O.L. to keep talking about a wage increase of 15.5 per cent and also to keep talking about the industry itself,” he said.