> From: GATT WATCHDOG > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: NZ - Union Journal Editor Sacked over MAI > > PSA Editor sacked, escorted from work - Evening Post, Wellington, New > Zealand; 26/2/98 - Mark Stevens Employment Reporter > > The editor of the Public Service Association journal has been sacked for > allegedly failing to carry out an instruction. > > Editor Pat Martin was suspended on Monday and escorted from the > building. He was couriered a letter of dismissal last night but would > not comment other than to confirm legal action would be sought through > the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union. > > The incident has been confirmed by union solicitor Tony Wilton, and PSA > general secretary David Thorp. > > Mr Thorp would not say whether the instruction was about editorial > content in the PSA journal. Mr Wilton says it is. > > The Post understands the dispute involves an article proposed for March > 4. > > It covered the international public sector unions calling for a halt to > the Multilateral Agreement on Investment (MAI) talks. Information in > the article came from a Public Services International (PSI) conference, > which PSA representatives attended as affiliates. > > A source said management wanted an article more in line with New Zealand > Council of Trade Union policies. > > Internal PSA communication obtained by The Post shows Mr Martin sent a > message to president Na Raihania and Mr Thorp the day before his > suspension asking for comments on the MAI article. > > Mr Thorp returned an email message saying he didn't agree with the > emphasis of the article - the PSA position was decided by the CTU and > should be the main focus of the story, his message said. > > Mr Martin responded in another email that the story needed a public > sector angle because it was written for public sector workers. The PSA > was at the conference where the investment agreement was discussed and > he questioned whether he sould be distancing the union from the PSI. > > He also said: "The CTU exec resolutions are reported in the story. I > did not realise that the CTU had already decided the PSA's position." > > Mr Wilton said his client didn't refuse to comply with an instruction > but rather sought to have it clarified. > > "Pat's position is that he was not...refusing to comply with this > instruction because the management of the PSA had failed to follow its > own policies regarding the making of decisions about the content of the > journal. > > "Pat sought to have this instruction put on hold until such time as the > proper policies have been followed." > > It was not the first time a union had been called in to support a union > employee. "Unfortunately it does happen from time to time," Mr Wilton > said. > > Mr Thorp said there was nothing unusual about union management > dismissing an employee. It had to manage its resources. > > The Independent reported yesterday that Mr Martin had a willingness to > run articles critical of employers. A determination to include a broad > range of views had put him out of favour. He was described as a "marked > man". > > The PSA national policy council was discussing the union's policy on the > MAI today.
