"BREACH OF FAITH"

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 123, 10 June 1937, Page 6

"BREACH OF FAITH"

4Pr««s Association.)

Labour Union's Charge Against Employers CONCILIATION DISPUTE

(By Telegrraph-

WELLINGTON, Last Night. All allegation that there existed in * Auckland an. organisation tke object of which was to hold up industry and diseredit the Labour Government was made "by Mr J. Eoberts at yesterday 's sitting of tbe Conciliation Council, when tke- New Zealand barbour boards employees' dispute was under consideration. In tbe couTse of same straigbt talk following an announcament that the board representatives would not agree to tbe 40-bour week, Mr Eoberts eharge3 tbe employers' representatives with. a breaeb of faitb and intimated tbat, if tbe. conciliation proceedings failed, tbe boarde would not meet their staffa en tbe next occasion but would bavo to meet tbe New" Zealand Fedcration of Labotur. Tbe itatement tbat tbe. employers. eonld not agree to tbe 40-bour week ■wsa made in tbe afternoon by Mr W. J. Gardner, of Wanganui, tbe secretary e£ tbe Employers' Association. He stated tbat tbe assessors had bad a Aeetmg «n Monday and bad further considered tbe matter during tbe luncheon adjburnment. Mr Eoberts: Tbat's not conciliation. He added that tbe workers bad not bfcia a similar meeting. Mr Eoberts said he bad been informed that tbe barbour boards were bebind recent objections tbat bad been made in tbe matter. He aSeged tbe existence in Auckland of tbe organisation mentioned.' "Another Think Comlng" /*X£ you ara in tbat kind of pnsb, yefe will bave anotber tMnk coming," he aaid. "Idid not think it would reacb public bodies, but, if it is in thare, well andgood; we know where we ,are going. '3 was in Auckland thp week before last, and I was definitely told. If we wint a Fascist dictatorship Britisb communities prefer a democracy." . Mr Gardner: - Tbe assessors on tbis side know nothing of tbis body in Auckland. Mr Eoberts: Will Mr Barnett deny tbat they were down bere talking to iim last week? Because tbey told me they were. Mr ^.Gardner: I do not tbink tbey iid. , Mr Barnett,- of tbe Wellington boaTd, said he bad' not seert anyone from Auckland or Wellington. Mr Eoberts said tbat on tbe one band it was suggesteii tbat clerical workers should -be organised in tbeir industry, wbile a move was being made to support an action in tbe Court tbat clerical organisers sbould be organised outside tbeir industry. "What side of tbe fence are you faJling off?" be askec Mr Barnett. _Mr Barnett: Tbere axe lots of things we could say. Mr Eoberts: You are not playing tbe game by these men. Mr Lane, a workers' assessor from Lyttelton, boped tbat a settlement' they could be proud of would be brought Sbout. "Serious Breach of FaitV ' Some blunt expresgions jvere used by tbe workers' representatives regarding tbe refusal of tbe 40-bour week, and at a later stage, jMt .Eoberts said bis side was of tbe opinion that tbe employers wanted to go to tbe Court. "If tbat is tbe idea, don't beg tbe question, ' ' be said. "Just say so. If you come to tbat decision we will have to make up our minds. We are a ycung union, and tbere are a lot of big brotbers, and we may walk into their arms. We establisbed this union mainly *t your request. "You bave committed a serious ' breach of faith witb us. You meet us 1 *nd you quibblo round the whole ques- ' tion, and we don't think you are attempting tq meet us. "We have the thing you can't do j witbout long — that is, labour power. ; When you buy cranes you pay the j price, but when you are dealing with . bumans you treat us very much off- . hand. This is a business deal, and it is a payable thing to treat us in a buciness way. If you come back, as you j did witb the bours proposal, it's a wnste of time." Mr Eoberts said tbat if there were a second meeting tbe employers would not meet the present workers' representatives. Tbey would meet the New Zeal?nd Federation of Labour. , /'Tbese people might not go to tbe Court at all," be continued. "We can walk .to, tbe Federation of Labour and cut cut all these diflerences in one act. We are keeping our word witb you people, and you bave definitely broken with; us." He warned tbe boards not to think tbe men were in a cleft'stiek. After the employers had retired, Mr Gardner -announced that the assessors tbought there was a possibility of an agreement being come to. Tbe coun«il adjourned till to-day.