FREEZING WORKERS END STAY-IN CAMPAIGN

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 2, 18 January 1937, Page 6

FREEZING WORKERS END STAY-IN CAMPAIGN

Fnu Auooiation.)

Minister's Promise

WAGES AND HOURS Conference Will Be Held This Week 'A LIVELY MEETING

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AUCKLAND, Jan. 18. I Tho stay-in campaign of ihe freezing workers finished on Saturday night, after addresses hy the Minister of Labour, Ihe Hon. H. T. Armstrong, yesterday, and the men returned to work to-day upon the Ministers' assurance thathe will call a conference of employees and employers not later than Thursday, this week. In the afternoon delegates from Westfield, Southdown, King's Wharf and Horotiu assembled at Auckland for a conference with the Minister, and after three hours' deliberation each section returned to its respective works. The men then roted upon the proposal to return to work on the understanding that a conference would be held be£ore> Thursdiay to consider the revision of the present wages and conditions. Within an hour of the delegates' return the men collected their belongings and returned home.

To a mass meeting of workers at Westfield Mr, Armstrong said that in going voluntarily to the Arbitration Court and then not abiding by its decision, the men wero trying to bring about a social revolution. If the court would not rectify an injustice, he said, then the Government would do so by special validating legislatzon, - Crowds collected outside the works after ihe deparfcure of the Minister from Westfield shortly after noon. A feeling of confidence that the end was in sight pervaded the works and the men, * who during the moming had washod and scrubbed out the dressingrooms and other premises occupied as living quarters during the last four days, settled down to await the resuit °f a further meeting between their delegates and the Minister in Auckland, The afternoon was spent in straightening up their quarters and collectingi their bedding and effects and talking with relatives and friends through the bars of ihe entrance gates and the iron railing of the yard wafl. The departure of the works delegates to eonfer with the Minister intensified interest and there was considerable tension in the atmosphere until the representatives returned shortly after eight o'clock. By this hour there was a large congregation of relatives in the vicinity of the works. A mass meeting was held, when reports were received froin the delegates, who recommended that the men accept the assurance of the Minister to eonvene a conference of employers and the men's representatives in Wellington not later than Thursday next, on * the understanding that the employees would immediately resume work.

ALMOST UNANIMOUS VOTE. The vote was almost unanimously in favour of work being resumed on these conditions. The men were told to stand by pending results from Southdown and King's Wharf, where meetings were held simultaneously. The Horotiu workers were xepresented by their delegates at the conference and the consultations between the works representatives^ and the delegates were empowered to abide by the decision of the workers in Auckland and Westfield districts. Confident in the belief that the reports from other works would be simiiar to the decision at Westfield, the men began to congregate in the works yard with rolled blankets and bedding strapped on their shoulders. Cara which had been standing idle for four days were eranked into activity and hundreds of eycles and motor-cycles were brought forth from iinprovised shelters as the men prepared for a hasty exodus for home and its comforts. When definite nevvs was receivid that the stay-in tastics had been abandoned, the men were soon homeward bound. j MEETING IN UPROAR. The mass meeting of the Westfield men began imder dramatic circumstances when Mr W. E. Sill, secretary of the union, in welcoming the Minister, announced that Mr Armstrong had eome to counteract his (Mr Sill's) "b— - dope." Upon the Minister * objecting, Mr Sill stated that the expressing was one used to him by Mr Armstrong. Interjections were frequent and the meeting became -an uproar. Mr R. Barry, workers' delegate, then appealed to the meeting not to let the proceedings develop into a "dog fight." The chairman, Mr Peter Little, asked the meeting to behave in orderly fashion and to give Mr Armstrong a good heaiing. "I did not think for a moment ,that there would be a possibility of having other than a good hearing," said Mr Armstrong, who addressed the gathering as "my friends." *1 am a member of the fighting class that has fought for the fighting class all my life. I am sorry Mr Sill &W. fit tp speak |n the way h$ did.

I hard words and strong language but rot obscene language," added the Minister. Mr Armstrong said they had asked that the power of the Arbitration Court should be restored. The Government had done that and had given the workers a form of organisation superior to anything that existed elsewhere in the world "WANT TO DO AWAY WITH COURT." "I want to do away with the Arbitration Court and the system of master and slave. (Applause). God created ua to be- brothers and not masters and slaves,'" ho said, "but we are not getting much assistance from some I people." The Minister pointed out that arbitration proceedings and . registration under the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act were not compulsory. and that the union had gone to the Court voluntarily and with its eyes open. "Before the ink.is dry you try to bring about a social revolution," he'declared emphatically. Mr Anr strong said he had had long experience aa a union official, and vo had nevcr gone on behalf of his uniov to the Arbitration Court. "Were you forced to go to the court and are you blaming me?" he asked. Voices : No. The Minister: If I took a case to court 1 would agree to abide by its decision. He added that, if after an award was made and if. misunderstandings were subsequently discovered, then, if the employers and workers were reasonable, anomalies could be removed. I He himself had had this done after the I Factories Act wae passed. I

FIEST ADVICB 0® POLICY, Mr Armstrong said that his first advice of tiie "go-slow" policy was a telephone message from a Waikato farmer. jSe communicated by telephone with Mr Sill, who could give no information. "The day has gone when a trade union official can shelter behind the plea, 'It was not my advice, ' " jtho Minister added. Mr Armstrong proceeded to describe in detail the conferences held in Wellington, and said he had been hopef ul of being able to submit proposals tbat might or might not have been acceptable, but right in the middle the negotiations were cut off by the "stay in" campaign. On the day of the stoppage he was actually fighting for the men. A voiee: You had four days. The Minister: You had four years and did damn all. "If we are going to tolerate two Governments, .then New Zealand wiU have a setback.from which she might never reeover," said the Minister. Beferring to Mr Sill's statement that conditions at the works were such as no Labour Government should tolerate for five minutes, he said the Government was changing them as rapidly as it- could, and* only the stupid, hasty action of a f ew misguided . workers could stop the Government from that objective.

The Minister said the clause in the award giving the employers the right to put extna men on in "the chains" was unjust. If the Arbitration Court would not rectify it, then. the Government would do so by special validating legislation at tbe first opportunity. (Hear, hear.) He said he did not think the basic wage should apply in any job in the freezing works, as the men were worth more than that. ' 1 There is only one way under heaven to complete our task of making good and that is to xeceive the support of the industrial workers. If we do not get that support, then the sooner we get out the better." Voices: No, no, The Minister: If this goes on, another Government can have the job. Are we to be judged only on your award J Voices: No. '*1 want an expression of opinion whether you will fall in with the reasonable and common-sense suggestion of myself and the Government," continued the Minister. "We are going to govern from now on, and if we can't then we will xesign and the other fellow can govern." Addresses similar to that heard at Westfield were given by the Minister at the Southdown and King's Wharf works. The Minister took his coat off to it at King's Wharf and addressed the men for upward of an hour. MISUNDERSTANDINGS CLEARED UP. / | At the conclusion of the meeting at about 4.30 p.in, the Minister proceeded to the ministerial ro 07*43 at the Central Post Office, where he met the delegates from various works with the objeet of arriving at a baeis on whieh the men might agree to settle the dispute. The suggestions made at this conference were later submitted to the men. The secretary of the union, Mr Sill, said he ihought he and the Minister had cleared up a lot of misunderstand- j ings, judging by the Minister's remarks ar Southdown and at Kmg's Wharf. He hoped the meetjng of delegates would be ' able to devise a basis on whieh a settlement might be reached and also that the next conference with I the frec/Jig companies would be more J ■satisfactory than the last one. } A voice: It will need to be. Mr Armstrong: If it is not 4he next move will be ours.