No Other Work For Dismissed Carpenters

Chronicle (Levin), 16 February 1949, Page 5

No Other Work For Dismissed Carpenters

.Press Association)

' (Per

• AUCKLAND, Feb. 15. Support for the Auckland Mastei ,Builders' Association in its decision to dismiss all members of the j^ucklaiui braneh of- the Carpeiiters and Joiners Union as from Thursday evening'unlese they. decide to cease their go-slow poiiey; was offered by the Auckland Ohamber of Commerce, Auckland Manufacturers' Association and Auckland Provineial Emplovers' Association to Jay, After a special ' meeting the thre. organisations issued a joint statement recommeiiding their members not to eri gage any worker whose employment had been terminated because he had been a party to open deflance of the law. The Master Builders' Association sought the cooperatiou of all otlie: employers in an attempt to uphold tlu decision of the Court of Arbitration, said the statement. The Chamber oi Commerce, « Manufacturers ' Association and Employers' Association held tlu view that all parties, employers ano vvorkers alike, should obey the law and believed that the time had come when

this should be insisted upon. If in doubt whether a worker 's pre vious employment had been terminated as the result of the go-slow policy, the employer could obtain information from the Master Builders' Association. A.telegram containing the full text of the three resolutions passed at the meeting bf the Builders' Association on Mondav niglit was sent to'the Alinistei of Labour, Mr. McLagan. A copv waalso sent to the N.Z. Master Builders' Federation in Wellington. Messages of ' congratulations on its decision hadjieen received by the asso ciation during the day, said tlie secretary, Mr. M. F. Bunker. These. included a telegram from the president of the Wanganui Employers' Association which read: "Congratulations on eifort lo stand firm. Wishing every success. " "The, -prevalence of nnfounded rumours that some employers have alreadv met the union 's deinands, indicates thal the union is by no ineans conviiu-eil that*

we are blufhng," said the president oi the association, Mr. J. II. Whittaker. tonight. "These rumours are a ven obvious attempt to undermine the asso ciation 's solidarity. My own firm ha: been named as one of the first to have given way. This I ,categorically denv. I ain quite prepared to ailow any inde pendent citizen to investigate my book: and records to prove fhat I have not complied with the union 's deinands. J ain eonvinced tliat any other "niember oi the association wouhl be prepared .to allow the same investigation if he was asked*. ' ' Soine of t-he biggest builders in Auckland had been in touch with the. associat ion 's officc today to discuss im |)lementing the association 's decision. .dr. Whittaker continued. .Two of the largest employers of carpe'nters out side the association, the only two com 1 niunicated with since Mondav night's meeting, had given an assurance ot complete observance of its resolutions. Many other employers had stated they would not employ any of the carpen-

ters either as carperiters or in any other capacity. The association executive had thoroughly investigated the degree of support it could expect from its members and from other employers and was absolutely eonvinced that the association 's policy would be earried out. "We know that employers as a whole realise that this is as much their fight as ours and they are not going to be foolish enough to defeat the objeet of the stand we have taken by absorbmg earpenters into other oecupations," he added. "'During the dispute we must expect a spate of rumours that builders or other employers ave willing to engage from 1500 to 2000 earpenters within a day of tlieir becoming available but our members know just ho# much relianee can be placed on such statement s.