Watersiders Ond Drivers Hold Up Cargo

Chronicle (Levin), 5 March 1949, Page 7

Watersiders Ond Drivers Hold Up Cargo

Press Association)

(Per

AUCKLAND, MarcJi 4. Unless Drivers' Union pickets permit the entry of fuel oil trucks into * the ■fortrose works of the New" Zealand urlass. Manufacturers Company Ltd., before noon tomorrow, the factory, which produces all the Dominion's supplies of oottles and jars, will he forced to close down. Production cannot he resumed for ahout six weeks and 300 men, most of them members of the Glassworkers' Union, will he dismissed at a week's notice. The stoppage will he the first since the company was established here in 1922. The works manager, Mr. L. Leask. stated that the secretary of the Drivers' Union, Mr. L. G. Matthews, and the union 's organiser, Mr. F. D. Muller, interviewed the management after a midday meeting of drivers and said that unless the firm undertook to employ dismissed carpenters wheu work was available, its drivers vvould refuso duties. " In view of our agreement with other employers, we would uot give this undertaking, " said Mr. Leask, "and the drivers did not resume work after luneh. Two men were placed at the works entrance as pickets and no trucks have since entered or left the factory." Mr. Leask said the New Zealand Glass Manufacturers Company produce! all the Dominion's supply of bottles, medicine bottles -and jars and that cessation of work would also stop production in the cardboard factory, the. only North Island souree of corrugated cardboard. Tliis would atfect box manufacturers who used tliis form ot board. Because the works did not have a large oil installation, the industry was very vulnerable to such action, cominented Mr. Leask. The company , which used 150 tons of oil a weefc brought in in dailv -deliveries, was oue of.the largest fuel oil consumers in the Dominion. , The boycott of the company bv ( sympath'isers with the Carpenters' Union, began this morning on the waterfront when members of the Auckland brancli of the Water.side Morkers' Union refused to discharge soda ash from the steamer Northumberlaud, imported from Britain. The material Is an important glassmaking constituent. The Northumberlaud, which arrived this week from Liverpool, carried 7300 bags of soda ash as a single cousignment, to be distflbuted among several importers, the sKare of the New Zeala.u! Glass Manufacturing Company being 5500 bags. When the waterside workers deeided to enforce the bovcott on the company, no method could be fouud for selecting other parts of the consignment as all had the same mark and at 11 a.m. the discharge of all soda ash stopped and the covcrs were replaced on the hatch c.oncerned. Other cargo work continued normally.

A meeting of the Auckland Port Com mittee, attended by representatives oi waterside workers and employers, was held to discuss the stoppage of work ou the Northumberland; The chairmau, Captain C. C. Stanich, manager 'of the Waterfront Industry Commission 's Auckland branch, stated subseojuentl} that no agreement was reaclied ami that the meeting was adjourned.