BREACH OF AWARD

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 129, 29 February 1928, Page 14

BREACH OF AWARD

WORKMEN FINED Dominion Special Service. Auckland. February 28. Prosecutions brougiit by the Labour Department against eighteen of the men concerned in the recent “go slow” at the Westfield Freezing Works were heard in the Magistrate’s Court this morning before Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M. Mr. J. Hotlows, Inspector of Awards, prosecuted. Mr. J. J. Sullivan appeared for all the defendants, and Mr. Ziman watched proceedings on behalf of me company. The (lepartmeifiT asked for a penalty of £5 against each of the defendants on the grounds that they had coinm'tted a breach of the freezing works employees’ award, in that on February 1C and 11 they adopted a “go slow” policy. A penalty of £lO was asked for a breach of the Arbitration Act. At the commencement of the hearing, Mr. Ziman said he wished <.o make it quite clear that the companv na i ucthins to do with tli<- institudon <’f po feedings. The company li-ni satisfy torily settled its differences with the men Mr. Sullivan said that he had gone ’ntc the matter and had reached the decision that it was in the interests of the men to admit a technical breach of the Act, in that there bad been a modified strike. He was willing to plead guilty to this breach, if the “go slow” charges were withdrawn. Mr. Hollows said he desired to obtain penalties for breach of the award. He would then be prepared to withdraw the other charges. This was agreed to. The men, said Mr. Cutten, had alreadv brought a severe penalty on themselves bv their loss of wages. The penaltv would be fixed at £l, with costs.