DAIRY WORKERS’ UNION
Sir,—Much amusement was recently manifested when the Employers’ rederation secretary auuouiice dtliat the Goveminent, in. introducing the Arbitration Act Amendment Bill, were "selling the farmers a pup.” Certainly, from the point of view of the secretary of the Employers' Federation, the "selling of a pup to the farmers” m.ay have been quite a humorous proceeding. A matter to be enjoyed at tho club of a night. But the real seller of a pup is the Wellington Dairy Workers’ Union, and it noiv turns out that tlie pup sold to the unfortunate workers in our dairy factories is a great, big, worrying bulldog, which is now showing his teeth. The men in the factories were bluffed badly into this wonderful union affair—it was going to bring Heaven upon earth, it was gning to be such a wonderful windfall that very soon the nests of the “unfortunate” worker in dairy factories were going to be lined with gold. All workers (and loafers) -were going to. be compelled to join this precious tinion, and eveything in the garden would be lovely. Lovely! The men working in our factory have received notice from a debt-collecting agency that if they do not pay certain moneys in a week, said moneys to go to the union, they will be hauled before the Court and made to pay., with expenses added. I have advised our employees not to pay, aud I hope no employee in a dairy factory will pay. The factory employees will now. understand how much sympathy the union has for tho working man. For the first time in the history of the dairying industry we are compelled to reduce onr factory hands in January and February, the prevailing drought being responsible for this. The men who are paid off are having difficulty in. securing work to see them through the coining hard months. But the union finds it necessary to look over their “books” and see which, of the men have not paid their "subscription,” and the big, soft-hearted, soft-handed heads of the Labour organisation deliberate. They do not want to appear in the limelight this time, so they go to the agency which they employ to collect their debts. Apparently they don't wish to let it appear that they are putting the screw on these factory employees—let the agency do all the unpleasant work. And so the workers in our factories, jnauy
of whom are out f work, get notices that if they don’t >ay up they will be prosecuted. . I think, Sir, it mst be agreed that instead of the farmrs having been sold a pup, it is the erployees of the farmers who have beei sold the pup. And it is some pun!*--! Chairman, Hopelads Dairy Co., Ltd.. Woodville, Februry 8, 1928.
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Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 117, 15 February 1928, Page 12
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464DAIRY WORKERS’ UNION Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 117, 15 February 1928, Page 12
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