Carpenters Support Their National Executive

Chronicle (Levin), 18 February 1948, Page 2

Carpenters Support Their National Executive

vWELLINGTON, FeD. 17. Eesentment of any intimidation by the Minister of Labour (Mr, McLagan) in the present go-slow dispute was expressed in a > resolution adopted today at a niass meeting of Wellington and Hutt Valley carpenters. , The theatre at which the stop-work meeting was lield was paeked, aiid many of the men were . ohliged to stanu throughout tlie proeeedings. ►Speakers at , the meeting were fro(|ueutly ap/lauded and it was eommented by ofiii'ials that there .was enthusiastic support of the -poliey adopted by the national exeeutive of the union. The meeting endorsed the aetion of tiio district exeeutive of tlie Wellington Carpenter^' and .Joiners' Union in appfoving of the national exeeutive poliey and reimposing the go-slow taeties. Jn the resolution expressing rcnenL-' nent of auy intimiua^tion by tlj" Minister, tlie meeting expressed t'ull conlideuce in the national exeeutive of the union and wliolelieartedly supported its aetion. The resolution was unauimous. After a discussion of possible aetion against men charged with organising go-slow tactics on particular constractiort johs, the meeting resolved that, in the case of any victimisation on anj/ job, the firm concerned sliould be blackiisted, and the support of other organisations requested. The resolution was applauded. The voting was on the voices.

Tlie ehairman of the meeting was Mi. F. Tlirossell, president of the Wellington union, and the priueipal speaker was .M r. 11. Htanley, of Auckland, national seeretary of the union. After tlie meeting, Mr. Htanley de elihed to make any eomnient on ihe aniiouneemont bv- ihe Minister of Labout that the Labour Department had boen direeted to take proeeedings against those persous responsible for instigatiug the go-slow in the building industry. Another union oiiiedal said, however: ' ' This meeting lnis answered the ilinistbr. ' ' ' Record Attendance A special request was inade to the ' Wellington and Hutt -Valley uniouists to attelul ihe meeting and a very substantial part of' the membership of 1800 was [wesent. Eslimates of the attendance rauged from 1000 to UJO-O, and tlie meeting was deseribed as a record in size. The unionists were toki that their re sjionse was an example which they sliould continue at their ordinary meetings and tlie point was made that. the union leadership did only wliat the membership inslrueted. Oue oflieial eommeuted that the support from the membership answered employers' statement s suggesting that many of the unionists wero not supporting the go-slow* poliey. It was explained to the unionists that the purpoe'e of ealling the meeting at an early hour was to enable the men to go to their work at the conclusiou.