Hydro Strikers State Their Terms

Chronicle (Levin), 5 April 1948, Page 8

Hydro Strikers State Their Terms

' AUCKLAND, April 4. The 880 workers who have been 011 strike at Mangakino sinee Mareh 12 will go back to work if a tribunal is set up to settle the i dispute, bnt only^if Mr. L. Glapham, the Communist secretary of the loeal branch of the Workers' Union, ean return to work with them pending the tribunal 's deeision. The Publie Works Department's c)eeision to transfer Claphafn. to Auckland led to the strike. Thb rceommendation that the men should aecept a tribunal eame from thfe Federation.of Labour and it was put to them at a generaJ meeting of the union this morning. The meeting ended shortly before the Prime'Minister and Minister of Works (Hon. R. Semple) began to.address a publie meeting at the eamp. The men have agreed to return to work as soon as advice is . reeeived from Wellington that a tribunal will be established, but no indieation could be giyeri in Mangakino as to whether' the stipulation that -Clapham should return with them would.be accepted. - , An outspoken attack on the Communist movement in New Zealand, and particularly its taeties in trade union affairs, was delivered by Messrs. Fraser and Semple.when they addressecl the publie meeting in the hall this af'ternoon. Ab'out 400 men and women paeked the hall and some stood ontside to hear the addresses through loud speakers. Interjections and eoncerted Tieckling oecurred, but most of the audienee listened attentively.