AIRMEN AT OHAKEA STRIKE

Chronicle (Levin), 19 September 1946, Page 6

AIRMEN AT OHAKEA STRIKE

"Chronicle")

P0L1TIGAL " H00HA " BEH1ND MOVE, SAYS COMMANDING 0FF1CER

(Special to

Wlicxi Ihe routine squadron oolour-lioisting parade on tho squadron parade grouud al the 11.N. Z.A.i. station at Oliakea was ordered at 8 o'clock yesterday morniug, tho statiou authoritios reeeived tkeir lirst iutimation tkat ihe airmen inteuded to carrv lnto elTcct their threat of the previous day to conduct a stnke uniess the reccnt order from tlio Air Department requiriug 50 per ccut. of tho pqraoiiuel to work ou Saturday moruings was rescinded. About 3U0 meii assembled iu their usual placc outside the main block near the parade ground, aud tho statiou warrant officer called for the markers — speeialJy detailed meii. These i'eli out aud took their place. Then came the order " Ua Parade", but the only nien to rcspoud were the persounel of the dutv crew, the lire squad aud others speeilieally detailed, uuuiberiug in all about 5U. The reuiaining persounel stood their grouud, iguoring the order. The parade was abandoned and the duty u.c.o. hoisted tlie station colours. The inen assembled in the sooial hall where they were addressed by the station adjutant, Flying Ufiicer Levy, who stressed the seriousnesS of their behaviour, and warucd theni tliat if they eontinued with the strike their pay wouid be .stopped. The threat of pay stoppages was reeeived by the men, with a clieer, but apart from a few interjeotions, the adjutant was given a good liearing. After the adjutant had takou liis departure, a short but lively discussion took place. When the issue was put to the men there was a unanimous vote in favour of work boing stoiipod. "1. tlhnk there might be some political ' hoolia' behind the strike, but to my mimi it is best to let the men stew the thing over amdng themselves, " said" the Commanding Oflicer, Uroup Captain li. J. Colien, A.F.C., in an interview with "The Times" yesterday. "It seeins apparent that a crowd of youngsters has realised the power of the strike weapon, but now they liavo it moving they don't.know wliat to do with it."

The airmeu were stiil arguing among themseives, and so far no coustructive lalking had beeu done by theni, he said. lie thought that there was uo deiiuite toader oi ihe strike movement, although he had notieed oue or two who seemed Lo be icuding lights. liowever, uo oue .seoiued wiliing lo take the responsibiiity of orgaiusing the tliing properly. tie was oonlident that Ihe issuo would straig'hteu itself out. Where uonually the station would hafe been a liive of activity, the whoie uroa had the generai uppearance of a "ghost. town". The duty erew, wlio are responsible for the sea air-rescue eraft and otlier emergeney services, atlended to their routiue duties, as did the tiro squad. Essential Services Continue. Cuoks and iuess orderlios oontinucd with their duties, and all three mosses, the otlieers', sergeants' and men 'a, were all serviced throughout the day. Persounel of the transport section early in ihe day rau services that had previousJy been approved by the strike leader. Latcr in the day members of this section returned to full duty. At 1U.2U u.iu. the Commanding Officer wcnt to the social hall and addressed the men. I Lo said that all he knew of ihe trouble was the coniplaint niade to ti i ui the previous day by five men that they I'elt let down because of the Air Department Order coneerning Saturday moniiiig work. Ile reminded the men that when they had joined the service they had been attested under oath to carrv out all the lawful eommands of their superiors. ITe warned them of the seriousness of contravening orders. Ile read to the assemblv a signal he iiad reeeived from the Air Department oue liour previously slating that tlie question of the new order was undor review and tliat a deeision would be given by Seplember 20. Uroup Captain Colien advised the men to go buck to work. If they returned to their normal duties within ten minutes, Ihe ineident could probably be forgotten, he said.. After the Commanding Officer had left the room the men held a furthor discussion, and ou a vote being taken it was unanimously deeided to remain firm in their stand to strike until tho order was rescinded. Support For Otlier Stations. At 11.15 a.m. the men reeeived telegranis from men on the Hobsonville, Whenuapai and Mechairie's Hay K.N.Z. A.F. stations asking i'or support in their action, aud it was unanimously agreed that a pledge of support should be given. It was made elear by a spokesman for the Oliakea strikers, liowever, tliat their strike had been organised on their owii behalf agaiust the Air Department Order, and was not a sympathy strike with tho striking men on otlier stations. Yerv few airmen were to be seen in the streets of Palmerston Xorth yesterday, tlie mujority of the persounel reuiaining in the meu's social hall where eoneerts had been organised. Yesterday nftenioon, liowever, there was a tiiiinber of airmeu .in full dress uniforrn, web belts with side arins, aud gaiters, in the city. Yesterday inoriiing 21 men who had heeii detailed to parade at 9 a.m. to be transport ed to Linton Militury Camp I'or special training as a guard of honour for the reeeption to tho GovernorUeneral, Sir Bcnmrd Freyberg, on liis oi'icial visit to Palmerston North today, I'ailed to make an appearanCe. Later ihe men were specifically and jrrdividually detaiTed for this dutv, and paraded accordingly. A spokesman for the strikers made it quite clear tliat the persounel of the station were ftilly determined to remain • ui strike until Saturday when the«deeiston of the Air Department is expected to be made known. Jet Craft Not Grounded. All aireraft were grounded at Oliakea yesterday with the exeeptioii of the jet profndled Meteor, whieli flew over tlie oity 011 exercises at frequent inte rvnls. On Tucsdav a squadron leader met the men aud advised them to send a representat i ve from eaeh section to meet tho Commanding Officer and place their eomjilaints before him 'in a proper manner. This was done by the men, but when Ihe deJegatinn of five wero admitted to Uroup Captain Uohen's offiee, he iinniediately pointed out that tiuless they were eaeh individually spea king for themselves. their aetion in going to him eould be eonstrued as mutiny under tlie regnlations and tliey would be eharged aeeordinglv. Tt is underslood tliat in sueh eases the men are permitted oue spokesman and. oue witness. In all the nogotiations that liave so far taken place on the station between offieers and men, Ihe station warrant officer has aefod in the eapaeity of witness and liaison oflicer. Tlie position of tlie .17 TVaufs ou Ihe station is not elear, although a spokesman for the strikers said that inany of

the girls were in sympathy with the movement. Details of Order. The order whieh originated tho dissatisfaction stated in eft'ect that the uecision towards Ihe end of 1945 to work us elosely as possible to a five-day week in the ii.N.Z.A.F. had had serious results in that it was recognised that working six, aud possiblv s'even days a week might be necessary on occasions. A rigid 40-liour, tive-day ' week interpretation had been placed by some offieers aud airmen upon the relovant Air Department Order, rcgarded as a riglit, eveu to the exlent of time off in iieu of work done out of normal working hours being expoeted, this generally resulting in a lower output of work. On the principle tliat an armed service must be prepared to function ut any time of the day or night, it was vvrong iu principle that air force working hours should be rigidly adjusted to eominereinl and indusirial activities, the order declared. There were cbrtain daily duties suc-h as orderly officer, iire piequet and duty flight whieli had no counterpart in civil life. In situations of emergeney all persounel should possess that wiliing spirit of service for 24 hours a day, for seven days n week, and for whieh in fact tliey were paid. Beverting to Normal. It had been deeided, therefore, to revert now to normal service: requirements, namely tliat every member of the service would be avaiiable for duty on seven days a week. Only liftv per cent of station persounel would be regularly relained for nornial duty on Saturday morning. Short week-en«i leavo could be granted by section commanders to persontiel thus retained from after duty. Saturday to iirst parade Monday. Cases such as duty ilights and essential services were exceptodv To Ihe reuiaining liftv per cent of statiou persounel loijg week-end Jeave could be granted, that is, from al'ter duty Friday until Iirst working parade jMonday. No time off in licu of any duties required under this routine, or for any air force duty would be granted, except in special eases at the eomjiianding officer 's discretion. for example, after an extended .period of night flying. Persounel should realise tliat there eould not be any restriction on the expectation of duty from any individual in the service, irrespective of the weather, the hours of tlie day or night, or of the aggregate hours he had already worked during tlie week. The new routine of work was to 'be-s gin with eft'ect from Mondav, September 1.(1, and section conimanders were asked to arrange a normal working parade on Saturday mornings. Colour hoisting parade would not be held but the normal squadron parade would be held on the squadron parade grounds. The orderly officer was to be present at the raising of the ensign at S a.m. Saturday morning work would normally close at 11.10 a.m. uniess persounel were requirod for otlier duty. These new regulations regarding the liours of work were to be introduced as standard throughout the service.