WORK DECENTLY OR GET OUT

Chronicle (Levin), 15 February 1949, Page 5

WORK DECENTLY OR GET OUT

Press Association)

Builders Issue Ultimatum To Carpenters

*(Per

AUCKLAKt), Feb. 14. Unless Auckland carpenters and joiners advise tlie Auckland Masier Builders5 Associatioil tnat they nave all decided to cease their goslow policy and resunie nornial work all members of the Auckland branch of the Carpenters anu Joiners5 Union will be dismissed from their employment as irom Thursday evening. This was decided at a meeting of the association tonight. The Govermnent is to be informed of the resolution immediately. The meeting also adoptecl a reeomniendation that members stancl firm and do not concede any of the demands of the union. It also adopted another resolution that, in an endeavour to protect as far as possible the system of arbitration and the public from the activities of pressure groups, the association must resist the illegal direct action decided on by Ihe Auckland branch of the union. xYt least 2000 carpenters and several hundred Joiners are affectecl by the decision. Those not involved are labourers, bricklayers and other building tradesmen. About 120 members of the Master Builders5 Association attended toniglit's meeting. They einploy hetween 1400 and 1500 of the carpenters in the Auckland metropolitan distriet. The following statement was issued hy thh president, Mr. J. M. Wliittaker : — The impossible situation where one party to an award refuses to accept the Court of Arbitration decision unless it happens to suit tliem, cannot be tolerated any longer and builders have expressed their determination to make a stand against direct action inspired, I am certain, by a disruptive communistic element. They have had a bitter and direct experience of the very short term beuefits, it benefits they can be called, of any policy of appeasement in dealing with union officials. "Without doubt the root cause of the present trouble was the unfortunate capitulation of builders to the demand for the l|d an hour increase in January, 1947. The capitulation was caused by an entire absence of effective means of counter action and builders realise this time that any capitulation means bigger and repeated demands in future. "By toniglit's decision the builders are obviously dgtermined to adopt the only possible method of countering the go-slow tactics, which is open to them. "All the points raised as an issue by the union have beeh very i'lilly considered a-nd fully argued

before the Court of Arbitration. Negotiations on the new award covered an extended period during which tliere were two properly constituted . Conciliation Council meetings and two full Court hearings. The builders are not juclging whether wages are too low or not but they 1'eel that any increase gi'anted one section must in all fairness be recognised in the rates i of others. If a proper relationship is to be preserved, the carpeu'tei's could quite coiist itutionally . and reasonably await the decision of the Court on the application for a general wage increase. "We have reluctantly been forced into taking the action decided on but we feel that the time for appeasement has passed and I am making a strong appeal on behalf of "the executive to all our members to observe faith fully the terms of the decision and also to" builders who are not members. 1 trust that they will realise the necessity for unity and determined action to ensure that vear after year we do not see this sorry state of increasing demands being made Jiard npon the issue nf each new Court decision. Unless both par ties to the arbitration system observe the Court ?s deeisions, the whole basis of industrial relations will be destroyed and tlie only ones likely to benefit would be the strong pressure groups, who. 1 ever, could benefit only for a ven short time.55