Labour Court declines payment and welder upgrades in Crown Equipment disputes

In 1999, the Labour Court made recommendations on three disputes between Crown Equipment Limited and the Amalgamated Engineering And Electrical Union: temporary staffing, lost earnings after a safety-related stoppage and welder grading. The Court recommended negotiations on a temporary workers agreement without a guaranteed staffing baseline. It did not recommend lost-earnings payment, finding the stoppage was unofficial and hasty and normal procedures had not been followed. It also declined the claim to upgrade nine welders, saying red-circling did not justify extending the higher rate to all workers doing the same work.