Government May Be Forced To Act Against Carpenters

Chronicle (Levin), 10 March 1949, Page 8

Government May Be Forced To Act Against Carpenters

Press Association)

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"WELLINGTON, March 9. "The Government takes a most serious view. of the attempt by an irresijonsible section of the Carpenters5 Union to defy the authority of the Ooitrt of Arbitratiob and to endeavour, by direct action, to force the employers to agree to . demands wrhich the union has been unable to obtain by constitutional means, 5 5 said the Minister of Labour, Mr. A. MeLagan, today. "Even more serious is the attempt by the officials of some other unions to widen the- dispute into a general indiistrial stoppage by their actions in boycotting the handling of essential goods, including food for Britain. Such taetics will not be tole'rated. Should these boycotting and wrecking tactics continue, the Government will take whatever action may .be neeessary to ensure that the economic life of our country is not disrnpted by a small group whose sole object is to destroy our eStablished and orderly system of indiistrial conciliation and arbitration and to promote strife in indiistrial relations and chaos and hardship in the community. I sincerely hope that before the Government is forced to take emergency measures for the preservation of theo people5s welfare and for the discharge' of our obligations to our kinsfolk overseas. the good sense of the rank and file members of the unions concerned, will prevail, that our well tried and beneficial system of arbitration will be upheld and that the illegal and disruptpe taetics at present being adopted will be abandoned."