Freezing Workers Win Day In Dispute

Chronicle (Levin), 15 December 1948, Page 7

Freezing Workers Win Day In Dispute

CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 14. A settlernent of the dispute over tlumanning of a second chain at the Belfast works of Thoinas Borthwiek and Sons,' Austfalasia Ltd., was reaclied this al'ternoon and from tomorrow the chain will be manned by 21 men. The off'er of the Canterbury Freezing Workers ' IJnion to allow a second chain of 21 men, was made at a confereiicc at Belfast in the morning with repre' sentatives of Borthwicks and the Freezing .Works Assoeiation and was ro-, jected by the company. The union was lirm in its refusal to, rnan a chain of 30after it liad ascertained that at tiu Canterbury Frozen. Meat Company \s works at Belfast, where the one chain of 35 was not wbrking 011 Monday, the men would be kept reasonably busv until Christmas. Borthwicks rejected the pft'er of a s§cond chain of 21 men until Christmas and of two chains'/of 30 slaughteranan for the slack period whicli usually occurs in January. ' • The company lield that a 21-man chain was inadequate to cope with the .stoek offering, said Mr. C. G. Wilkin, .secretary of the Freezing Works Assoeiathon, when reporting the brealcdown of the morning liegOtiations. Although later iu the day the company sought an agreement on a 28-man chain being manned, the union declined to consider an extension beyond 21 men. The point was stressed by the union that if, • becaus'e of northwesi weather, an onrush of stock for the works began, a new -situation would be created and the union, being reasonable, would liave to meet it. Staffing when the stock position reached its peak; would be subject to a discussion accord ing to the circuiustances tlien existing. The linal uegotiations were brief and the union 's conditions were acceptod. A broadcast was later made for 21 "laughtermen plus auxiliary staff, to attend at the works tomorrow morning.