ANOTHER AUCKLAND BAIL-UP.

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 137, 26 June 1937, Page 4

ANOTHER AUCKLAND BAIL-UP.

Auckland seems to be gaining an unenviable reputationas the favourite arena for trade unionists tryipg out tbeir adventures against the law. It is not so very many months ago that we had the "stay-in" strike of freezing company employees that for a time completely held up all activities in their works. It is doubtless very largely becahse of the sympathetic and tender way in which the Minister of Labour dealt with the offenders on that occasion that we now have the drivers of vehicles engaged in the distribution and delivery of petrol and ottier supplies essential to the conduct of many industries aixd services adopting much the same course in order to compel compliance with their demands — in this case for the application to them of the forty-hour Week. In each instance the men have had available to them legitimate recourse to a fully recognised tribunal among whose functions is the hearing and decision of ju$t such differences as that which has now arisen. As a matter of fact, it would appear that the very question at issue is at the moment before the Arbitration Courfc at Wellington and merely awaits the delivery of judgment, reasonably to be expected during the coming week. This, However, has carried no weight with the Auckland drivers, who have chosen rather to provide yet another demonstration of the power of organised labour at its own gweet will to throw the industrial and commercial machinery of the country out of gdar. Nor does the fact that probably the chief and most acute sufferers from their action Will be their fellow wage-earners in the industries and services that must ineyitably be affected, and, of course, their wives and families. Already We hear of one industry employing 160 men which may have to close down and throw them out of work simply beeause these drivers, numbering only 40, are anxious to make display of their power to work evil. As to the community at large, it never receives much consideration in cases of the kind, and no doubt the fact that within the area of the strike the public at large will be greatly inconvenienced and in not a few instances incur serious losses for lack of transport facilities both public and private will merely be a source of further gratification to the striking drivers. Readers of the reports from Auckland will scarcely fail to note also that every effort is being made to spread the trouble as widely as possible, hopes being expressed that the co-operation of even the State railway employees will be enlisted. We should imagine that such hopes are not at all likely to be fulfilled, but the mere fact that they are seriously entertained cannot but cause sottie misgiving and give us pwse tcr think what may happen when movements of the kind come to be handled by the centralised executive of a Federation of all trade unions such aS is now, with the approval and blessing of the Government, in course of organisation, and which will merely have to issue its decree in order to bring about a general strike throughout the country. Under circumstances such as these there cannot but be some little anxiety to see how the Government will deal with this fresh exhibition of unionist despotism. Possibly by this time it is beginning to recognise that these displays cannot but seriously affect the political situation. The trade union vote is, of course, a very big thing at any election, but it was not that vote which placed Labour in office nineteen months ago. Success then was undoubtedly due to a deluded farmer vote. It may be therefbre that, if for no other reason> Ihe Government Will, in its own political interests, see the need , for handling the present trouble in Auckland in some different and more courageous way than that caused by the freezing worker,s.