The Dominion THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1926. WORKERS LED ASTRAY

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 52, 25 November 1926, Page 10

The Dominion THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1926. WORKERS LED ASTRAY

It is beginning to appear that the meat-freezing voikeis aie by no means unanimous in their approval of the policy ot their leadeis in calling a strike. This much is evident from the report of the meeting in Hastings, at which the members of the Hawkes Bay Union were addressed by the president of the Alliance of Laboui (Mr. T. Roberts). . The intervention of the Alliance of Laboui, as a body of strike experts in trade union disputes has not been attended with brilliant results in the past. It is small wonder, therefore,, that the Hastings meeting was a stormy one, and that many hostile questions were asked. There appears to be considerable doubt within the Hawkes Bay Union as to the wisdom of the course adopted, but a mistaken sense of loyalty has led the more sensible amongst the men to follow their leaders. , . ..... , Even after a strike begins there is always the possibility of a settlement. The door to negotiation is rarely slammed. . But the possibility becomes more remote when an outside body which exists solely by industrial agitation intervenes. It is as if a wedge has been inserted between the contending parties, driving them farther apart. Employers who may be willing to discuss matters with a union are much less ready to meet the Alliance of Labour. Here it may be- useful to quote from an address recently delivered by the secretary of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation (Mr. T. O. Bishop) on the value of employers and workers settling their disputes amongst themselves. He took as an instance the recent highly satisfactory' settlement in the engineering dispute. “Two years ago,” he said, “awards for this industry were made by the Court of Arbitration after a strenuously-contested case. Some of the terms of the awards were regarded as being unsatisfactory by both sides, and the case left bitterness behind it. . A month ago in the same industry we had to meet in Conciliation Councils to make new awards, and on- this occasion the employers and some also of the workers’ representatives were determined to secure agreements if possible. This was not easy to accomplish, but finally it was accomplished, and the spirit engendered by the friendly nature of the proceedings and the fact of having mutually agreed upon certain things was so good that I believe a very much better understanding and greater spirit of co-operation will result, provided that employers follow it up in a proper way.” So far as can be seen, the freezing industry is not likely to be seriously disorganised by the strike. Plenty of free labour appears to be available, and the works are carrying on. But though this may be satisfactory in one way, it is not in another. Some of the voluntary labour comes from the farmers, and to the extent that one industry is being deprived of labour in order to keep another going the strike is not a good thing for the country. H has been, stated that there is a likelihood of the free labourers forming new unions, and that many of the strikers may join. If that is the case the situation will gradually' re-establish itself, with this advantage, that the malcontents will be left high and dry. It is probably the case in the freezing industry, as it is in many others, that the more reasonable spirits within the union have allowed their affairs, through pure apathy, to drift into the control of a few extremists who consider that the chief object of trade unionism is to keep industrial trouble in a perpetual simmer. Tn the present circumstances the strike is the most unpropttious enterprise that could possibly’ have been undertaken. It is bound to fail, because the industry is carrying on, and the sooner the workers realise the fact the better for their pockets and their, families. If prolonged, the effects upon their own economic condition will react in various ways upon the community'. Surely they must see that!