ARAPUNI STRIKE AFFAIRS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1927, Page 2

ARAPUNI STRIKE AFFAIRS

(By Telegraph—Tor l’ress Association.) AUCKLAND, July 12. The Trades Union disputes which have occurred at Arapuni were freely aired in the Arbitration Court, when, as the result of dissension among the unionists, and tlioir dissatisfaction at the comprehensive agreement entered into between Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth Company, Ltd, and the N.Z. Union of Workers, the ruling of the Court on several matters was ieq nested. The Company sought the registration of the renewal of its agreement, and asked whether it was entitled to enter into further agreements with the Crafts Unions and with the Labourers’ Union other than the New Zealand Workers’ Union. Hitherto the conditions of work of all the men at Arapuni have been governed under the agreement in question, which provides for the preservation of the Award rates of pay for the unionists of various classes, such as the engineers and electricians. Air Justice Frazer, after a brief retirement of the Court, said that it was unafile to agree in toto with any of the agreements adduced. It laid been found most satisfactory in cases like that at Araouni. which closely resembled the Public Works schemes, to have all the men operating under similar conditions, while preserving their respective trades’ rates of wages, and to that end the agreement had been framed. There had always been a provision whereby the Company could contract individually with Crafts Unions in the matter of wages, although other working conditions were of necessity covered under the general agreement between the N.Z. Workers’ Union and the Company. That answered one of the questions and the agreement would he renewed, as desired As to whether the Company could contract with other labourers' unions than the N.Z. Workers’ Union, His Honour said there was no .strict legal bar, but it would be impossible to carry on the work at Arapuni under separate agreements with two labourers’ Unions. That being the case, the Court could best answer this query in the negative.