MEAT STRIKE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1670, 10 February 1913, Page 6

MEAT STRIKE.

FREE LABOUR AT GISBORNE. > GOOD WEEK'S WORK. ALLEGED MOLESTATION. ! .(By Telegraph.-Press Association.) Gisborne |( .February 9. : , Tho Sheep Farmers'.Frozen Meat Company concluded their/first'week's operations nndor free labour conditions at midday yesterday, and tho result is regarded as highly -satisfactory..... .'There were 31 menrOfl the slaughter board yesterday morning,'' and • their • work:. is spoken of in the highest terms. 'Tho substantial naturo of tho wajjes offering has attracted numerous'inquiries for work from many parts of the; district..'

Tho only'incident' worth mentioning •thatappears to havo occurred is a-case or ! alleged, molestation.''Two of the new butchers at; the JCaitr works complain of : hayihg'.heeri intercepted'by Some persons :who' used ..oft'ensivo^tenns'to/them. It.is "■';'.• uiidofstood'that.'measures' will, be taken .' ' 'to prevent the introduction of'liny such •■--..-.• objectionable tactics.- . '".:-'Some.internal dissension is reported to '■"'have occurred 'amoUgst the.slaughtermen '.-■ thomselves. and tho payment of a salaried " with .the organisation ■"-is'stated to bo the bono of contention. ' : :: A federation representative is reported to ■'-. ~:h!ave waited upon' a'director of tho Toko : . ■'.- •-maru works with ah. offer, of ;his services ' -, to .settle, the butchers' dispute,'butho,was •'■-! courteously, informed that no such griev''■""■■'■'■'anco"existed,' ahd'the company! were 1 quite satisfied;'with, the 'work' of its- present y. slaughter-house hands'.' ... V ... ! '" STATEMENT BY SOUTHLAND COM- ! ,'. ; _;:.; T. - ..PANY'S CHAIRMAN. V ■ ~- ~v( ':'"(By v iroiie'grttph. ; f-l , ress Association.) ,',. ' • ;-.-■ Inve'rcargill, February. 9. , ',;',,Speaking,at tho annual, meeting, of : th». ,;.Southland Itozen -Meat. Company, the ' ""chairman „ of:' directors '! (Mr.■'"'.' J6hn ; .' .•j.'Jkl'Qucen);.said. this tiiiio/ the companies •.'(Wore'determined -to make a, stand,' and ."■'■';-• had decided to/m'ako.an. attemDt to. fill !,,tho factories with free labour. So far as ■ they-had gone,, they had met' with, encpu'ragment, leading to the conclusion that ; they wouhb obtain .sufficient labour. - Ho .regretted that a number! of,married, men : who had been with the Southland.Frozen ,- . Meat'. Company 'for'years', and lived' In i.the-neighbourhood,, would find'that their occupation was'gono unless; they, moved !very. quickly in. applying'for places. Ho '".' would lo sorry to soe married men inado. -.victims by a lot of young fellows who 'Vcould.put, their swags on their backs'and !-.-go' onto' Australia, orthrough tho country .'■ t'olloWihg other occupations.', An attempt ■-,-■ .•! had.been made to make,-, tho ;hvst award '■. * : i , Un':'a: term..-.of '.five"..years but the :"..'' President ,of-tho (Court would not extend it beyond' three "years,, and the leaders of ■:' the i'men- gave tho .companies' the ■ assur- ■■• anco.that' at!tho end of the'term they ;■'.." would 'do"their best to get ah!'extension '^of tw^-yearft.' '. Possibly- they did use their ..r.be'st enaeavoiirs, tut the slaughtermen.did : ■■;*■"riot''SgreDito; such a 'course.. The com--1"> panies had found no difficulty in arrang- ■■'-■'■'. lhg conditions with the local union, and Jia'd J up tin agreement, but it had ' .''!£oibe "sent tothe federation, who turned becauso at.was,^encroachihg_on the functions of .the executive in Wei- ::. lington.'!■ This"'executive was composed of men-who'no!doubt received good salaries ' and were required'!'to'do .'something to ■'-'■ justify-.'those'; salaries, 'and he! was in- ! clined' to'!think "that .those gentlemen •'would,'.'owing'-: to! bad genejalsltip, : find : 'their occupation! gone. He hoped this "would be the result! of their action. (Ap..'plaiiso.)'Tho local/men! were to blame ' in surrendering their personal convictions '■' and handing-oyer'their rights to others. This was ;unmahly and; 'degrading, bu\ ; . that.was their.business: "'Every man hod ■■~■ .the right'.to "make a fool of himself, if . , ;,h8 .wanted 'to.' -As •to the 1 slaughtermen, ' ■ .'nhd,any.other employees they might find Unnecessary to .engage in, 'consequence of . t),n'y .disputo' they would continue in tho v'.'vcompanys'fiorvico., ,It would not matter ! "if : the slaughtermen came in. a body-and' .'-, offered"'their.'•service*'.' They .would fight V any attempt, likelyto be. made to form a ;'•' un'ion''to 'register, and 'impose.'conditions ''pvKereby.tho me'a,who'came to the com- '■ "ph'tiy's assistance 'would be turned < out. '•'■■■• They would not submit 'to that, and he did hot .think tho Arbitiatipn Court would give its approval. It would bo a : .' case/of fixity of tennro with those.young •!.! butchers! 1 -, !-. ;'.' ' ■"•'.'■■,.: : "..'!;'. ''•'"■'"'■ V'' : "'''' .;; 'POSIT ION'AT DU NED IN.' '' ! -BTONSIDE WORKS "TO REOPEN.! ! ir !.i! "' :'!'!',!.'!. "-Dunedldr February 8. ' -The Cbristchurch Meat ! Company's '-,-; works at Bnrnside ,will reopen for the ':• Keason on Thursday next. More applicn- ' tions havo been made by Blaughtermcn with some experience than .the number -' .reqnired;by,'tho'company.';-.'' ". v ■■'•'' ] . ;! V FREE LABtfl)R ,AT .WANGANUI'.' ; WHARF MEN UNSYMPATHETIC.. ]. •'. ':. -.:!..'■' ;■: Wanoanlii,'February 8.!. ■';:; rJThe Wanganui Freezirtg 'Company has 1 liad a eood response from free labourers, andwill resume on Monday with at least ■: twenty-five men', •■including some expert ■butchers.:. The rest are, of a. good stamp.' • Some pfthe'pld'hahds' have, already do-; ■ ; !pa'rted 'for Anckland, !arid 'the I 'majority! . of the others aro'leaving next week. They ,'-«iy.'_thoy are unlikely to.return. Thoso -. haying .'homes :hSro."intend' to. seek other ':..' employment.- ; .V-^lnqHiriesTamonK'-'the'" local'' wa'tersido : workers show'that they have little sympathy with the strike, which they conrider, is unnecessary .and unjustifiable. They, declare there will be no ;refusal '■■ to handle meat so far as the Wanganui waterside workers are concerned. LOCAL WORKS OPEN TO-MORROW. •It is now definitely announced that the' two local freezing works will: open tomorrow morning. Additional applications for cmploymentwere w recoived'on,Saturday, morning, j.biit,; : Up , -to'!th'd' ; p'reseht,' "s'o'fnr 1 ' as can be'learned, none of tho old regular hands havo offeredvthemselvesj'Some fifty' free workers have applied, and more ap- , plications';are. , expccted. '