Carpenters Advised to Pipe Down

Chronicle (Levin), 4 March 1948, Page 6

Carpenters Advised to Pipe Down

Press AssOciatiQni 1 " ' ■

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} '■ ■ " V A¥ELLlNGTb^ 'Mar. 3/ : . i Oii receipt'of %request from ilie" jNew, Zealand Faderation .of .-Labi-. jOur for a speeial meetin'g of 'the; Wellifigtbn Tradbff Council(to dis-: iduss tlie carpenters' dispute,, the ; executive of "the- Tra'des Council ' met.thiS 1 afterup/jp and, af ter hearing a full report'from the seeretary. of the Federation, Mr. K. Baxter, the exebUtive submitted the'follovving resolutioli to a meeting of the Trades Council tonight, which was moved by the president of the Trades Council, Mr. F. P. Walsh, and read:— "Your management committee, after receiving a report on the earpenters ' dispute l>y Mr. Baxter, secretary of the New Zealand Federation of Labour is of opinion that the basis of settlement offered by the Government after consult'ation with the national executive of the New Zealand Federation of Labour, - was fair and reasonable and should have been accepted by the executive of the Carpenters' Union in the interest of their membership and the trade union movement as a wliole. Tlie' basis* of settlement was as follows : — "(1) Tliat in view of the New1 Zealand Carpenters and Joiners' Award expiring in July 1948 and the union being in a po'siiton to seek. a new .nward two mopths prior to July, the Minister of Labour stated he would assist and expedite proeeedings for. a new award or agreement eitlier under the l.C. and A. Act or by some other means; " (2) That .'ffie New Zealand Carpenters and Joiners' Union give an assuranc'e that the liiidings of the Coiirt or some other tribunal would be abided by and an award ,or agreement adhered to. *' ^ (3) Upon an assuraiice from the New Zealand Carpenters and Joiners' Upion that. an award or agreement J will be observed the Minister Mf Labour « will give favourable consideration to a stay of proeeedings t against both workers and employers. " "We f urther desire to point out that at its initial coiiference the Federation of Labour agreed on a policy in respect :of disputes which should bev on a basis of conciliation and arbitration. This policy has been reaffirmed at each of its succeeding conferences and in the opinion of your management eom-

ffiittee, is the correet' policy in' tlie int'erests of the trade union movemfent. ' V* '-k- • • "= '■ ' ' We theref ore eall upon the carpenters' organisations to hand over' their dispute' to the nation^ executive of the Federation of Labour for settlement on the basis as set out above, otherwise the foundation on which awards and industrial agreements are based is th'reatened with destructi.on. " To this resolution the following amendment was moved:— . y " That tliis Trades Couh.eil supports the carpenters ih their dispute and condemns the, Government for its action in proseeuting; members of the Carpenters ' Union." . ,v * After a debate, which lasted for 'over two hours, .the ' amendment was put to the meeting and defeated. ■ The voting was 35 in favour of the amendment. and 78 against. ; A report issued after the meeting stated that there was a reeord attendance of delegates, ihe. resolution being carried by more than a two-to-one majority.