900 P.W.D. WORKERS ON STRIKE

Chronicle (Levin), 12 March 1948, Page 7

900 P.W.D. WORKERS ON STRIKE

Press JLssociation)

THREE NAJOR PQWER SCHEMES HEID UP

(Per

\ AUCKLAND, Mareh 11. Ali eonstruction work in the three major Cenitai Waikato power schemes at Maraetai, Whakamaru and M7aipapa eeased at midnight when 900 Pubiic Works and State Hydro-Eleeirie Department men engaged on these. projeets .weiit on strike. » '•? • The Mangakino branch of tbe New Zealand Workers' Union, of which all the workers are meinbers; has advised that' the strike will last until its secretary (Mr. L.> Clapham), who is described as a Communist, and whose transfer to Auckland " "was ordered reCently, is reinstated in his former job as a tunnelier at Maraetai. The town of Mangakino, with a population of nearly 3000, is anxiOusly vvaiting to see' what the Government wilJ do . . A skeleton crew of membersp.f the camp istahf has gone on duty to nian the pumps at Maraetai. 'The most serious feaf.ure of the strike is the probability that the Publie Works Department may lose many valuable men who might seek jobs elsewhere if the strike continues. "The f'acts in so far as the union is their obieetions to Mr. Ciapham- are

concerned regardiug the case that has led. to the stoppage of work on . the Mangakino job are as follow," stated Mr. W. Wallace, national president, and Mr.'C. JdLair, natioiiaJ seoretary of the New Zealand Workers.' Union, in a statement issued today: .. "On Deeember 12 oue' hour befpre' leaving the works to go on his annual hoiiday, Mr. L. Ciapham, local seore; tary of the Mangakino' sdction of rthe union, was infarined by the - engineer that he was to be transferred to work in another district innnediately after the vacation period. /6*poni inquifingthe reason Mr. Ciapham w.as. inforiUed that Mther he (Ciapham,) would have to be shifted off the job or the' 'eiigineers would leave it. Nq reasons were given for this attitude taken up by the engineers. As tlie job was on the point of closing down fof the Cliristmas vacation no immediate action was taken by the local union, llowever, immediatelv after resuniption of work on January 9 a meeting of ihe union was called to eousider tipi position. It was quite evident at the meeting that the men strongly resented any interferenee with their constitutionally elected representative and passed a inotion that tliey would resist by ali means iii their power the transfer of their secretary, who had been . elected by a big majoritv of his fellow workers at the annual general moeting of the local union. The meeting appointed a deputation of three to travel to Wellington and place the matter before the head ollice ofStho union and the (lovernment in an endeavour to have. Mr. Ciapham retained at Mangakino. The deputation visited Wellingon on January 10 and tho action taken result'ed

in information being obtained. thait the -ProfessiOnal Engineers ' Asspeiatipu u e re s uppo r ting^tlre " a t tlfhdt'^fee^ up by>the Mangakino engineers. Jllforta w^re made by the head office of the union to iheet the executive officers of thaf body to discuSs the . -matthr,' ;but ourjrequest in this diijeetiqii was declihed by the president of tha|>,organisatlon on the gronnds that if was a matter for the Uovernment. Ilowpver, .ve still persisted in our endea'vOilrs, to ineet this body and expiain to tliem the issues and implications involved as they appeared to us and our Mangakino members. Kndeavouis were also niade to meet (he.Ministef ^f. Works and, tho I'rinie Minister, but iU#ala^ A .liht|e jAer : t'v^d. iydeks trom the tiine of- the. dppp-tatioAfe-^tri^aFin Wellington' ,-b^fe' an appcn£ftUivffitft^'^^-p.bt^ Minister of Works. ,rt^%h#^hieeti^.a fuil and frank discussion of the pos'ttion and thc possibilitics arising out of j it took place. JDuring tlie meeting the Minister invited a representative of' the Engineers ' Association to attend. This representative stated that his

organisation fuily supported the engineers who originated the dispute and, moreover, he stated that if these en ginoers left the job no other engineers would take their places. When askea if there were any charges against Mr. Ciapham to justify such action the representative could prefer 110 charges 011 any gronnds. When asked if the attitude of the engineers was occasioned by Mr. Ciapham 's political- views I the engineers' representative emphatically denied this. At most it seems that

suspicions and assumptions based" on something that is entirely nebulous. No clxange in the sifuation ' resulted fronv'this 'meeting, and the only thing, to* do was to report back agaiu to a meeting o'f Mangakino members. This infee.ting . held on February 12 was attend,ed :by over 600 men,. After hearing theaccount'of the negotiations the meeting; unaniinously passed the follow iiig resolution: ' That 'this ; meeting oi meinb'erS of th'e N.Z." ' -Wprkers' Union being in possession of ; all the available fhets;ffe the vproposed .transfer of oul lbepi .secretary, repudiate the 'engineers attempt ■ to interf e're in- otir denipcratic right to retain "Mr« Claphain as oui, secretary. We decide to insisf on our deinoci'atife: -rights and demand the en- . gineerk to extend re.cOgnition . to our • elected secretary. . Furthermorp,. be cause we desire his services as. our sec retary .we decide* to xetain hina* on the works in that' capacity. We'do this in order to, as far- as • lies - • within oui po\vfer, avert ahy avoidal)le stoppage oi work on a job of .such iniportunce anu urgency to the people of - New Zea lpnd. ' Tlie - purpori of . the resolution was that vvhile tlie men did not retreat in any way from their. defeuce of a very'impottaiit trade union prmciplt they did not desire to stop the job aua vvere giving everybody an opportunity of recoiisideriug tlie position. ' Unfor tunately,- however, altiiough furthei negotiations took place with the Gov ejnmpnt and a representative of the EngiUeers ' Association over- neailx loqiv' vveeks- lollowirfg thte ine'eting, | these -\lfere Hvitkoufc" • fesuitsv! " CUiisb!queiitly'lh furthei1 ' hiee'ting waS 'hbfd'^fl iUangalivlhp on Tuesflay to 'Coiisidyii t'he

position and this mee'tihg aftfef' liekillig-thfcjhlstory-o'f ?the Mftlier ; uegbfeTdtfdn. deciiied 'tb take " a i-'secret bhlfot - on vvhethef cfr Jiiotr work would ! ceaSe untif Mh Claphahi wds !rfefiist'ated; Accoiil' iiigly arraugeinentS Were made to talli' aisecrct' ballotf : • uudfefi 'eiTcnnistances tliat gave evefy man uiu'ple •'opportun'' ity to record his H'btei • The arrange illfenTS Ih'fiAt bhi^i&rlect'B'u the eia'boratl with a J.P. As re\hTnf7ig-;oMcef knij asSf-*? oue. who did not fe.curd his1 vote •have uo cOmplaiht. Tlie *big poll - rl;sul ted' in a naf rd iv b\it ' cie.ar - liia jdfiij ior tlie stoppagfe "61/ * x>!?brk; diitll; Elup'haui 's liansf cd 'iS ^anceiied. and fh^j is i'eiiis|atecL at Af ^Mg.akii.lP^; j iikUiti't uepda^i't'p-sWnj^p^iA pbsitfp%ls^htisA ' Mr. -Cliipliaiu, 'is . thfe coiistitutKmaii/elected reprefeeiitntiyp of the nien aua ' as'the accredited repifesentative-of thc 111011 lle would ' be required "to " submil the varioiis disputes'alfeeting the meiu Uers to- tlie ehgine.eE This is m accoru with the prd\'isions, of the publn works agreehient. Mr. Ciapham ha.s bnly made approacties to tlie eilgineern after receiving iiistructions from thc

local union exeeiitive. The ehgiUeeri adniit that any aiiproaehes made tc them by Mr. Eiapliam have always been couiteous and coustitutioiiai. Thej state that he is a satisfaetory worker. it is entirely clea-* that Mr. Ciapham canuot be faulted .in this respect and tlierefore ho specihfe charges ha\ fe been made tiiat justify the engineers' action. insofar as the hifen are tiOn'cern'ed a very strong trade union principle is in vojved and that it is.- the right of theii elected representative to make repre seirtations on their behalf witliout fe'ai of yictimisation, proyiding; . of coufse, tliaf the representative conducts him

self. in accord with the provisions laid . down in the union rjjles- and agreement - Lt is admitted that M r.* * Ciapham • is a • inember of the Communist Party, but it also must be pointed out that the vasl 1 majoritv of tlie meii 'at Mahgakino and" , the national officers fof the union are ardent supporters of tlie- Labour Party it must be f urther pointed out that we arer and know that ..the • vast majoritj of the Pubiic Works men are, appre j ciative of the benelits conferred on oui j members by the Government since it | took office over the iast 12 years. j There have only been oue or. two minoi ! shqrt sloppages of tvork and our niem j bers and this union believe in settling all disputes by negotiation. It has always been possible to do 'this with the Government. Therefore, our niem- j bers would only take strike action in j extreniely provocative circumstances j and after je very means of .negotiation. have been exliausted., In this case they are defending A pl'iiiciple tjcat is precibus to them and would and will do so irrespective of political or religious c'onvictions of any imjividual who may happen to be fheir 'felected. representative. Tlife people who origina'ted this dispute afe.responsible for the stop- ■ p.agfe. They can restbre t iiarniony - and I tiie fecoiunieiicenient of' work by with- I drawing their ultiniatuin to the Govern- | meiit. ' ' I