RAILWAY WORKMEN IN OPPOSITION.

Chronicle (Levin), 6 July 1949, Page 6

RAILWAY WORKMEN IN OPPOSITION.

, ^CHRISTQHBRCH, July 5.- ; A- f esQjutf o'n 7~ oj^^sln'gl '.cdmpulsory miJits^y.: tr^itiing .JnL^peacetime was passed at a lunch hour meeting at the Addington railway worksliops today said thh secretary .of th'e Canterburv Trades Couiicil, vMr. A. B. Grant. The meeting was jointlv convened by the Addington braneh of tli'e Amalgamated tieciety of Railway Servants and Railway Tradesmen's Association and was addressed by the president of the Canterbury Tra'des Council, Mr. J. Roberts, who was accompanied by Mr. F. L. Langley, a member of the national council of the Federation of Labour arnl national president of the Carpe^iters' Union. .. , , The manager of theTW:orkshops-, M|'. J. . Kin-g, ^aAvjsed.cMr. ^Rober|s.and Mr. Langley tb defer: hblding' tli'e 9 meeting as he had received word from his head office in Wellington that the. holding of meetings to diseuss the issue of the referendum was being discussed by Cabinet. He would not know until tomorrow if permission would be granted for meetings to be held in workshops. On receipt of this advice, said Mr. Grant, officials of the two unions explained the position to their members and it wras decided unanimously by approximately 500 members that irrespective of Cabinet 's decision, the nu.-eting would continue. The meeting was then held, said Mr. Grant, and after the address it was resolved ' ' That this meeting of Addington workshop employees, strenuously opposes the reintroduction of peacetime compulsory military training and pledges to do everything possi'ble to det'eat conscription beings enforced in New Zealand during the world struggle for the maintenance of peace. "