ARAPUNI STRIKE

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1927, Page 1

ARAPUNI STRIKE

THE TROUBLE DISCUSSED. HAMILTON. July 3. “I am fully of opinion thaL the whole of the alleged troubles giving rise to the recent strike could have been settled within twenty minutes,'' declared .Mr J. B. Williams, Dominion organiser of the New Zealand Workers” Union, in an interview regarding the Arapuni dispute. "We have had similar troubles on the job before and at no time was it necessary to call the men from work. I claim that the settlement has been prolonged by the unwarranted interference of Mr lially. Conciliation Commissioner, in giving recognition to a lew malcontents hacked up by the secretary of the Auckland Engineering Union. Mr Barter and the secretary of the Auckland Builders’ Labourers' Union. Air Sutherland.”

With Air Williams, when ho made this statement. were Messrs A. Cook (secretary of the New Zealand Workers’ Union) and 0. C. Stove (Auckland secretary of the Alliance of Labour). who fully concurred in what, was said. The three denied a statement that C 7 CO! t had been paid in levies in two years by the Arapuni workers, and stated that the total membership fees from Arapuni since the inception of the contract, were about £I2OO.

Air Williams and his conlreres denied that there had been any secession. They described the action of the secretary of the Amalgamated Engineering Union as a distinct broach of the agreement that existed. I hey alleged that Air lially had endeavoured to get together what he regarded as the two factions, and threw his full weight into an effort to get recognition of Afessrs Barter. Sutheiland and Kelly, but New Zealand Workers' Union representatives from headquarters .fust as consistently refused to recognise them. The action of the Conciliation Commissioner was characterised as most unusual and peculiar, in trying to introduce into the dispute an element that was quite foreign, and which had been batted by a judgment of the Court given on December 23. 1925. to the effect that the New Zealand Workers’ Union was the only union to work on the Atapuni contract. Application was made |,y several craftsmen's unions to have Armstrong, Whitworth and C’ompnin added as parties to their rralt, lmt judgment wont against them. Their awards were only to lie recognised so far as the minimum rate of wage was concerned. Mr Williams said the strike was declared without the knowledge of the National Executive. The executive discovered that the strike had been engineered by a few irresponsible individuals. and that the question m li|spute was of such a frivolous character that it could have been settled m „ very short time by a deputation to the company.