THIRD DAY OF STRIKE

Chronicle (Levin), 13 March 1948, Page 5

THIRD DAY OF STRIKE

Hydro Secret Ballot May Be Challenged AUCKLAND, March 12. The New Zealand Herald's specfai eorrespondent at Mangakino telegraphed' to-night tha,t indications are growing that a challenge may soon be made hy a section of the workers at Mangakino to the validity of the secret ballot hy. whieh the Mangakino' branch of the New Zealand Workers' .Union deeided on Tuesday to cease work on the .hydroelectric power schemes at Maraetai, Whakamaru and Waipapa. Apart. from this -there were no new developments to-day in the strike whieh will enter its third day to-morrow. It is not expeeted the position- 'yTill change before the middle of next week, many workers being away over the • week-end. ^ More than 900 Public Works ancl Btate hydro -eleetrie .employees are on • strike, the only persoimel still employed being a few of the eainp staff attencting the pumps whieli are'. keeping the inlet end of Maraeti divexsiou tunnel free of water. The town of Mangakino is quiet althougli a large iiumbeiof men are obvious in their idJeness. Plans have been made by other union for games and coneerts to keep striKers amused and oeeupied but the rain whieh developed this afternoon may cause the programme xfor to-morrow to be abandoned. The main hint of future developments eame to-day from the opposition group in the union whieh drew eriti* eism from the executive yesterday as eanvassed members in a "strike breaking attempt. " The members. ot this group said they feit that t li e, real question had ben elouded by the Communist element in the vijlage and they eonsidered they had well-founded ' sus- . pieions that the ballot eonducted by the executive was far from regulat. Being true unionists they did not , desire to hreak the strike as sueh hut to prevent the union. from being used to fnrther the influence of Communism in the Dominion. They were fighting Communism not umonism.. A The only statements issued by the executive of the union to-day were* that it had reeeived no petition for a speeial meeting as reported in yesterday 's Herald and that it was eonsidered the statement by Mr. F. H. Manson, spokesnian of the Professional E11gineers' Association, on origin of the trouble was adequately answered by that of Mr. W. Wallaee, president ot the New Zealand Workers' Union. Although the men were paid to-day and a few are reported to have left Mangakino there was no large seale exodus sueh as. .was anticipated(jn some qt%i'\C ters. An iteni iu toXlay's "Trade Union News, " a news-slieet « issne.d' by the local bfianch of the Workers' Union, emphaeised that it -was 'the duty 'dfilafi 5 members to "stav while the fight was on, " fihd. ladded 4h-at *the uainel-.b^ M i m'en leaving the job to seek employmenl, elsewhere would be''sent toWthfe "nkfiona offiee.