PLASTERERS ON STRIKE

Chronicle (Levin), 15 April 1947, Page 6

PLASTERERS ON STRIKE

AUCKLAND, April 14. Building will be brouglit to a standstili, pJasterers throughout. New Zealand will be foreed into temporary unempioyinent, and the biggest plastor wailboard faetory in Auckland will liave to close tonight if Friday's secret ballot strike o-f the plaster manufacturing operatives at Victor Plasters, Ltd., the only plaster faetory in the Dominion, is not settled today. All this will be the sequel of only oue and a hatf days' idleness at the jiiaster faetory here, but an inunediate setllement of the dispute, whieh occurred because of dissatisfaction with vage rate proposals, appears unlikely. tt is understood an application may be made for a tribunal under the Strikes and Lockouts Emergency Regulations to consider the dispute. A thousand fvorkers throughout New Zealand are said already to be directlv •affected by the strike. Continuance will delav the entire Btate liousing pro■ject, the rural housing seheine, and pri/ate building throughout the country. Ihe onlv substitute for plaster wallboards is pulp boards, the supply of whieh would be inadequate to rneet the demand. An Auckland wailboard faetory, whieh will have to close tonight if the strike is not settled, employs 43 men and produces 15,00'0,000ft of wailboard annually. It is understood a similar factorv at Lower Hutt will have to close in a few days if the strike continr.es. The Auckland wailboard faetory is already well in arrears on orders. It is believed the Drivers' Union here will refuse the cartage work for the ilaster faetory wliere the strike occurrcd until tho dispute is spttlod.