SUGAR-WORKS DISPUTE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 287, 28 August 1920, Page 7

SUGAR-WORKS DISPUTE

CRITICAL STAGE REACHED

MEN DECLINE TO RESUME OPERATIONS,

By Teleitrash—Press Association ... ■ Auckland, August 2?. The. Chelsea sugar factory was ready, for the resumption of! refining operations to-day, but tile men declined to return to work. A general meeting of the union was held during the afternoon to consider what the union deemed to be fresh developments, which had. arisen out of the hearing of their, case' by the Arbitration C'burt yesterday. A k|tU:r from Mr, Dallard, advisory accountant to the Board of Trade, was read, in which he asked the workers to resume operations. A resolution affirming the men's determination not to return to work until the' five points conceded by. the Board of Trade at" the recent conference were embodied in any award the Court 'might liiake, was carried. These concessions provided for a 4'l-hour. week conditionally upon the, output being.sufficient to meet the company's contract with, the Government, also a minimum weekly wage of ,£4 45., seven holidays yearly on full, pay, overtime at time and a. half for . three hours .and double time thereafter, arid retrospective pay as from'.July 1. The Secretary of; the' union' states that the position has now reached a critical stage. .Ho considered that the hion were justified in holding out for fair and reasonable conditions, especially as the Government had been prepared to give them these conditions. •